A War Mages Path
by Angel Shinigami
Summary: After being sent to the mages for two years, Harry and his new friend and family have come to Hogwarts. So far this is only PG13 but certain things will change. My fics tend to be alittle diffrent. I hope you like it. Totaly AU, Last Chapter up!
1. A War Mages Path chapter 1

Author: Angel Shinigami  
  
Title: A War mages Path  
  
Warnings: Sever Character changes, fluff, sap, odd clothing, language, and more. Yaoi!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter crew. All other Characters that you've never heard of are mine. Clothing styles are mine. Personality's are mine.other than that.  
  
Chapter: One  
  
"Now Harry.I think this is for the best. You will be back soon. But we can not teach you what you need to know.please just go along with it. It is for the best."  
  
Harry Potter looked at Albus Dumbledore, Head Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The elderly man had called him up to his office right after the beginning of school feast to inform him that he would be training with the mages for an undisclosed amount of time.  
  
"But sir.I want to stay here with my friends, when will I get to come back? At the end of the year?"  
  
Dumbledore shook his head and gave the young boy in front of him a sad look. His normally blue eyes looked like a muted gray as the old man gave a grand sigh and lay a wrinkled hand on Harry's shoulder.  
  
"No Harry.I can not tell you when you will return.the Mage council will be the ones to decide. When they think you are ready to face Voldermort, they will send you back.and no sooner my boy."  
  
Harry thought about that for a moment and then looked at the other man in the room. The twenty-year-old was tall and well toned. His magenta hair was tied back in a low ponytail that ended right below the collar of his jade green jacket. Large black eyes sparkled with repressed curiosity and life for everything around him. A gold belt held up leg-hugged jade green pants that left nothing to the imagination and dragon hide boots made the mans outfit seem to mesh perfectly.  
  
"Well.I don't really have a choice in this do I?"  
  
Both men shook their heads and Harry let out a small sigh.  
  
"Alright, I'll go with you."  
  
The man in green smiled and held out his hand for the smaller boy to shake.  
  
"Welcome aboard Harry. My you can call me Jade."  
  
As Harry took Jade's hand, the world around him blurred and he soon found himself standing in the middle of a large white a gold room with tables and chairs scattered about.  
  
"Harry, I would like to welcome you to War Mage HQ. This is Location is secret. Not even the other Mages in the building know where it is. War Mages are the only Mages that know where every other mages headquarters are. We have to be versed in every form of magic there is."  
  
Harry gazed around and gave a nod at the end of Jade's speech. He knew that no matter what, he was in for a long stay.  
  
"Jade...um.Are you going to be teaching me?"  
  
A soft laugh echoed off of the walls and a black woman in a bright blue dress that went to he ankles and blue flat heels walked forward. Her blue hair contrasted greatly with her vivid aqua green eyes and accessories that seemed to bring her attire to life.  
  
"No child. I will be teaching you. You may call me Aquamarine, or just Aqua for short. But while I teach you, you will address me as ma'am. Is that clear young one?"  
  
Harry gave a nod and smiled at the beautiful woman in front of him. A thought entered his mind as his new instructor and new friend guided him around, showing him his new rooms and introducing him to his new training partner and room mate.  
  
'You know.this might not be so bad.'  
  
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"War Mage Quick Silver, War Mage Midnight, War Mage Aquamarine, War Mage Jade, and War Mage Bloodlust. You five have been called before this council to receive orders on the Voldermort scandal. You five are our top agents. We the Council expect you to handle this as soon as possible. We are deploying you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You leave in two hours. Back up will be issued to you if needed. Dismissed."  
  
With that five mages exited the room and didn't begin discussing the mission until they arrived in War Mages Midnight and Quick Silver's room.  
  
"How are we going o arrive? And how will we stay inconspicuous Harry?"  
  
War Mage Midnight, or Harry Potter to his most trusted friends, Thought for a moment before he sighed and tossed himself onto his bed.  
  
The Seventeen-year-old looked around at his friends and shook his head.  
  
"To tell you the truth guys, I don't know. I don't think we should tell Dumbledore about me being back. That man is very.selective with what he thinks everyone should know. If he knew that I was back, he would tell the school so that everyone will feel safer, if he does that, the element of surprise will be completely destroyed."  
  
The others nodded, knowing from Harry's accounts of the years that he had attended Hogwarts that the old man was as sneaky as they come.  
  
"So.Marine.do you know any thing new on this case?"  
  
The elegant woman laughed and shook her head.  
  
"Sorry Yan.This time, I'm as clueless as the rest of you.We'll see when we get their ne?"  
  
The other four laughed and everybody disappeared to go and get ready for their mission. Two hours later, All five mages were standing around the white and gold common room that Harry had first arrived in.  
  
Harry looked around at his friends and smiled. His first friend here, Jade or Theodore as he later told Harry, really hadn't changed much. His hair was a bit longer and he had an earring now, but other than that he still dressed in the same green and gold outfit he did when he first met him. And even after all this time, he still had that love for life sparkle in his eyes.  
  
Quick Silver, or Hellaine, was still the spunky high-spirited girl she was when Harry had first walked into his new quarters on that first day. At that time, she was wearing what all training war mages wear, complete white, nothing else. Harry had worn them, Jade had worn them, and at one point in her life, Aqua had worn them.  
  
Hellaine now wore lose pale gray pants that were bound to he calves by white, high laced ballet slippers. She also wore a white, short-sleeved, mid-drift shirt and pale gray, finger less gloves. Her White hair strikingly contrasted with bronzed skin and her pale gray eyes always seemed to glow with mischief.  
  
Harry always assumed that she had grown so used to the bland white clothing she had worn for six years, that she never really got comfortable wearing colors again. Hellaine had just turned nineteen. She was one of the latest graduates the high council had ever seen.  
  
Blood Lust was an odd story. Unlike his teammates, who all matched, He was dressed in blood red and bright lavender. Harry had never under stood his friend and decided that it was better if he didn't.  
  
Bloodlust's real name was Robyn, but he insisted that everyone call him Bob. No one really knew why, but then again nobody really ever thought to ask.  
  
Bob was a tall, well-muscled, man with a volcanic temper. Everyone but those who knew him best stayed clear of him in fear of having their spines ripped out or something.Harry had actually started that rumor after he had seen his companion twist a guys head clean off. Harry decided that having your spine ripped out was much less scary.  
  
The odd man was dress in knee length lavender shorts with red stitching, his tight, long sleeved, blood red shirt was covered by a short sleeved free flowing, unbuttoned, lavender shirt. Red and lavender sneakers adorned the slightly crazy mans feet. His Lavender hair stood out against his pale skin.  
  
All in all Harry thought the man looked like a blender had gotten sick on him, but didn't have the heart to tell him so.  
  
Harry, himself, had changed a lot. No longer did he wear the bold and sticking colors of the proud Gryffindors. He not wore tight black leather pants and a black V-necked T-shirt that clung to his body in all the right ways. A black leather trench coat flowed freely around his black leather ankle boots with their silver laces. Four silver hoops adorned his ears and a belt made of hollow silver rings lay lopsidedly of off his hips.  
  
Harry twined his long silver hair around his fingers and bit his lower lip. He was nervous about this whole thing. Harry, unlike his roommate, Harry was one of the five youngest to ever graduate in the time span of a year and a half. Harry was now seventeen. He had been sent to the mages when he had barely turned fifteen. Harry had graduated six months after his sixteenth birthday.  
  
To say Hellaine was upset was an understatement. She had thrown book, knives, and just about anything else she could get her hands on, at him until Harry had run to one of his lovers for help and protection.  
  
Harry looked over at his lover, Jade, and smiled. Jade had helped him though a lot of tough spots over the last two years, and over the time, the two had fallen in an odd form of love. It was an unspoken thing between them that if they were to fall in love or lust with anyone else, it wouldn't matter as long as the other knew before hand.  
  
Harry himself had three other lovers, two were in other teams that served as back up for the elite teams (which Harry himself was a part of), and one was in research. Jade had applauded his choice to go after the small, orange haired spirit mage in research. It had helped out a lot when their team needed something done fast.  
  
Harry's spirit mage loved Harry and understood his other alliances, He knew it helped to have people in all circles, He himself could only ever love one person, That person just happened to be an elite War Mage. Harry's spirit mage rarely ever came out to the fields unless he was really needed. But Harry was always happy when he was with him.  
  
The silver haired boy was pulled from his thoughts when his former instructor cleared her throat and walked over to the middle of the room.  
  
"We will depart from this spot and arrive in Head Master Dumbledore's office. Everyone, please bring your stuff, put it in the middle, and hold hands."  
  
Doing as they were told, after dragging their trunks, bags, cases, and other items and putting them in a big heap, they then gathered around the stuff as best they could and held hands tightly.  
  
"Alright everyone.here we.go!"  
  
Nobody really had time to blink before they found themselves in the middle of a large office with a very surprised Dumbledore sitting behind his desk.  
  
"Ah.may I .um.help you?"  
  
Aquamarine quickly dropped Bloodlust and Quick Silver's hands and turned to smile at the old man in royal purple robes.  
  
"Good evening Professor.You may call me Aquamarine. We are sorry to interrupt your preparations for tonight's feast, but we are here to fill your Defense Against the Dark Arts job."  
  
The elderly man stared at the group that was clustered around his desk. His eyes shifted from the tall black woman in blue, to the man in green. Clearing his throat, Dumbledore gazed at the eclectic assortment of people.  
  
"We already have that position filled in.I'm sorry."  
  
The woman's left eye twitched slightly as she gave the man a strained smile and attempted to approach the subject from a different angle.  
  
"Sir, maybe I didn't introduce my self or my companions properly. You may call me War Mage Aquamarine. These are my associates, War mage Quick Silver, War Mage Midnight, War Mage Jade, and War Mage Bloodlust. We are here for the D.A.D.A. position."  
  
Just then a large barn owl swooped in and dropped a letter on the stunned older man's desk.  
  
"I am sure that if you open that envelope you will find a letter stating that your Defense teacher regretfully informs you that he cannot teach this year do to things he can not reveal at this time."  
  
Sure enough as soon as the elderly wizard opened the letter, his eyes grew wide with the knowledge that the tall woman was ended correct.  
  
"Well.um, Madam War Mage, that we do have a spot open. But it is only on spot. What shall we do with the rest?"  
  
It was Harry that stepped forward to solve the problem. "I am only seventeen sir.If I am correct, all seventeen year-olds are still going to school, right?"  
  
Dumbledore nodded at this and gave the young boy a smile. "You are quite right War Mage in training. We d-"  
  
Harry glared at his former Head Master.  
  
"I'll have you know that I have been a full War Mage for seven months."  
  
Dumbledore was taken aback by the young boy's angry glare and nodded.  
  
"Please forgive me. I do not know the ways of Mages. As I was saying, At seventeen you would be entering your seventh year of schooling. I would enroll you, but.I'm afraid that you do not have the proper clothing. You do not have any school supplies either. And what do we do with you four?"  
  
This time it was Jade who stepped up and addressed the old Head Master.  
  
"Sir, I don't think you understand this situation. You really don't have a choice in this matter. War Mage Midnight had been nice enough to allow you to enroll him in school, the rest of us however, are to old to be students. The rest of us will be you new D.A.D.A teachers. You do not have any say so in this. So says the High Mages Council! Do we understand each other?"  
  
Harry held back a laugh as Dumbledore nodded and held back a glare. Harry had never seen this side of his former Head Master before. Dumbledore had always been kind and full of smiles. But now he just seemed tired and upset that he had no control anywhere in the situation.  
  
"Alright then, well lets see.We will have to express order you some robes Young War Mage. What is your name child?"  
  
"You my call me Midnight. Head Master."  
  
The man's lips twitched in a frown before he looked at Harry again and gave him a smile.  
  
"I meant your real name. I can not register you under a nick name, now can I?"  
  
Harry blinked at the old man that was dressed odder than Bloodlust was. It was odd that Dumbledore didn't know the ways of the Mages. Harry had always thought that Dumbledore knew what he was going though, or at lest the rules of the game, but it was now clear that he didn't.  
  
" Sir, Midnight is my name, or at lest the only name you ever pry from my lips. Only the most trusted people know my true name. If you have a War Mages true name, you hold power over them."  
  
Dumbledore nodded at this and sighed. "Alright then Midnight. What are your measurements? You will have to have proper robes."  
  
Once again Harry sighed and turned begging eyes to his friends. Seeing the distressed look, Jade wrapped his arms around his younger lover's waist and pulled him against him softly. Looking up at Dumbledore, he answered for Harry.  
  
"Dumbledore, War Mage Midnight was been training extremely hard to earn the right to wear what he does. When a mage is in training, he or she is not aloud to wear any color what so ever. They all wear the same white outfit. They are not allowed to wear jewelry, or makeup, or anything. They all look the same, no distinction. Then when they graduate they are aloud to pick their name and colors that define who they are. Up until the time when they are considered full mages, they are called by their trainer's name for them. So Midnight here will keep his clothing and his Identity because he earned it. Are we done?"  
  
Dumbledore nodded again and silently walked over to the door.  
  
"War Mages Quick Silver, Midnight, Jade, Bloodlust, and Aquamarine, The feast begins at eight o' clock, which is in five minutes. Please go down these steps and through the door to your right, follow that door all the way down the hall until you arrive at a portrait of a door. Touch the handle and push it open, when you enter the room behind the portrait, wait for me to introduce you and then come out. At that time I will sort young midnight here and then we can begin the feast! You don't have any other instructions that state that you have to eat at the same table do you?"  
  
Thinking for a moment Harry looked around and bit his lip. They really didn't have any other orders than what was already stated, but then Bloodlust looked directly into the elderly man's eyes and gave him a disturbingly happy smile.  
  
"Yes, actually now that you mention it we do. We are required to room in our own rooms. War Mage Quick Sliver with War Mage Midnight, War Mage Jade with myself and War Mage Aquamarine on her own. Thanks."  
  
Harry held back a snort of laughter by turning his back to the Head Master and starting down the stairs, with his friends and collogues right behind him.  
  
It took them a few moments to get down the room indicated for them to wait in by Dumbledore. By the time they arrived, Dumbledore had already gone though the sorting of the first years and half the announcements.  
  
".And now before we eat, I would like to introduce you new D.A.D.A. teachers and one new seventh year student. Please Welcome War Mage Aquamarine."  
  
Harry gave his mentor an encouraging smile as she passed by him and out into the silent hall. Harry couldn't help but look out the door and see hundreds of shocked faces.  
  
"War Mage Bloodlust."  
  
Silently, the tall and proud man walked out into the hall and stood next to the woman he viewed as one of the pieces of his extended family. The other three pieces of that family had still yet to be called. Robyn.or Bob to most, on included one other person into his family circle, and that was Harry's spirit mage. Robyn really liked the orange haired mage. No one knew why, but Harry didn't question it, he was glad his spirit mage was excepted into the group he called his family.  
  
"War Mage Jade."  
  
Jade's golden eyes showed nothing, except for a small flash of love and excitement, as the magenta haired man walked over and stood to the right of his friends.  
  
The hall was still silent, not a single person had made a noise.it was odd, Harry recalled in his fourth year, when Mad-eye Moody had made a loud and frightening entrance, people had clapped. Harry wondered if they knew that their teachers weren't done being introduced, or if they were surprised that they were being taught by war mages.  
  
"War Mage Quick Silver."  
  
Hellaine practically bounced out of the room and giggled as she saw some of the students do a double take to make sure that this girl was really who they said she was.  
  
"And finally, your new Seventh year, War Mage Midnight."  
  
Harry bit his lip slightly as he looked at all of the eyes that had shifted over to the door. Taking a deep breath, he calmly stalked out of the small room and positioned himself next to his roommate and friend.  
  
"Would you please step forward mister um.Midnight, sit on the stool if you will."  
  
Nodding Harry calmly slipped onto the three-legged stool and felt his heart do a summersault when he saw the hat descend upon his head.  
  
////  
  
'Shut up you stupid old hat and let get this over with, put me in Slytherin for all I give a rats ass.'  
  
Harry heard laughter in his head for a brief moment.  
  
////  
  
Harry sighed slid off of the stool as soon as the Hat was removed. Looking from the table he was supposed to sit at and his friends, he saw proud smiles and happy grins from his family. He thought on this as he smiled to them before moving to sit next to a boy on the end of the table with his head down and his blond hair tied back in a thick twist.  
  
Harry guessed that a war mage would be put in Slytherin. Because none of the other houses really excelled in producing the worthy qualities that a mage had to have.  
  
A mage had to be able to think on their feet and make quick life or death decisions on the drop of a dime. Ravenclaw would defiantly not work. Ravenclaw was known for its book smarts, not its street smarts.  
  
A mage also had to have loyalty, well Hufflepuff was good for that, but mages also had to be able to do a lot of complicated magic. Not exactly what Hufflepuff was made for.  
  
A mage also had to be brave, but not have a death wish and had to have the ability to stay in control long enough to make the right decision.or at lest the best choice for the team.  
  
So after thinking about it that way. Harry kind of understood why his family had been proud. He then let a big smile grace his face when his housemates decided that he wasn't so bad and welcomed him to the snake house.  
  
Looking over at the blond to his left, Harry nudged him and smiled.  
  
"Hi there.whats wrong? Not feeling well?"  
  
The blond raised his head slightly and glanced at all of the food around him, making a face, he then put his head back down and shifted away from his inquirer  
  
Looking over at the boy on his right. Harry blinked at him and motioned over to the blond.  
  
"Oh.That's Draco Malfoy.He used to be proud and very friendly.. Well at lest to his housemates. But something changed in him two years ago, like at the beginning of fifth year.Right after Harry Potter disappeared actually, He just.shut down. He doesn't eat much any more. He barely insults Gryffindors, and right before summer last year, I actually heard him say he was sorry to a Hufflepuff.the boy isn't right in the head."  
  
As Harry shifted his gaze back over to his former enemy, he nodded to himself and smiled.  
  
"Alright, Draco, You can call me Midnight."  
  
Reaching around the blondes folded arms, Harry snagged his plate and started to put food on it. Draco sat up strait and glared at him.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?"  
  
Putting on his most charming and disarming smile, Harry put a piece of chicken on the blonde's plate and answered him.  
  
"Making you eat. Come on.it not asking much, but I hate to see good food go to waste."  
  
After he had put the golden plate back in front of his old enemy, Harry set about making his own plate, which was far less crammed with food. Draco raised an eyebrow at the boy in black.  
  
"And why should I eat more than you?"  
  
Harry laughed. Turning to the blond, he smiled again. Draco was surprised to see how much the War Mage next to him looked like a certain dark haired Gryffindor from so long ago.  
  
Draco laughed when the mage answered him and gave him a small smile.  
  
"Because I said you should and I'm much more powerful than you.so there."  
  
All around them, the great hall had gone silent when Draco had laughed at the other boy's comment. It had been a long time since anyone had heard the quite blonde's laughter, evil or other wise.  
  
Up at the teacher's table, A certain magenta haired man in green allowed himself a small smile. 'It looks like my angel has found himself a new friend.better keep a close eye on that one. He will take some work.'  
  
Standing up, after he was sure that everyone had gotten their fill, Dumbledore smiled down at all of the young faces that blessed the hall every year.  
  
"Now my dear students. Follow your house prefects and get a good night sleep. War Mage Midnight, please go with your house, Further instructions will come to you later."  
  
Harry looked over at his mentor and nodded. The tall woman nodded back and all four mages watched as their youngest member walked away with his new house. All the while talking almost nonstop to the quite blond boy at his side.  
  
An hour later, Harry found himself sitting on in a black leather chair listening to his new housemates tales of what they did to him over the four years he attended Hogwarts. Waiting for word form his instructor.  
  
".So anyways, Draco goes up to him in potions right, and leans over really close to him, and get this.Potter starts blushing and when Draco pulls away I swear Potter looked like he was going to faint, right then and there. Draco never told us what he had said.it's a pity, I really would've liked to know."  
  
The other Slytherins were laughing so hard, one of them even fell out of his chair. Draco smiled just a bit as he remembered the way he'd told is crush to meet him after class, to bad Snape held Harry back so long that he never got to see him before the train ride.  
  
The opening of the common room door caused the common room to go deadly silent. The girls swooned as soon s they saw who had followed the head of house through the opening.  
  
Jade looked around the room for a moment before he walked over to the silver haired member of his team and smiled.  
  
"You coming Midnight? We have our rooms set up. It took alittle longer than previously thought. Dumbledore can be a pain."  
  
The young mage laughed and walked over to his taller lover and wrapped his arms around the twenty-two year-olds waist.  
  
"Yes, I agree, but what can we do."  
  
Harry turned to his friends and smiled.  
  
"Jade, these are my new friends. This is Basil Zambini." Harry pointed to a short boy with auburn hair and gold eyes. "Pansy Parkinson." Harry indicated a girl with golden curly hair and bright blue eyes. "Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle" He then moved his hand to point to two rather burly boys with brown hair and stupid looks. "They really aren't as dumb as they look. And over here we have Draco Malfoy."  
  
Jade smiled at each person and winked at Draco.  
  
"Draco Malfoy huh.Dragon of Bad Faith. Fitting. Well come along Midnight, I have class in the morning and you dear one have school. If you're really good I might let you sleep though morning routines."  
  
Harry laughed as he walked with his friend to his new room, tossing a causal good by over his shoulder to his new friends.  
  
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Alright, New story! I hope you liked it, it took me three days to get this chapter right. Please review and tell me what you think. Contrary to popular belief, we authors don't just pull this stuff fully written out of the air. It takes time and creativity to write.  
  
Your responses on what I can do to improve and on what you liked do help the story. If you liked this fic, please go read my other stuff. I would love to hear you thoughts.  
  
Your loyal author,  
  
Kat =^_^= 


	2. A War Mages Path chapter 2

Harry was subjected to a rude awakening when he suddenly found himself on the hard, not to mention cold, stone floor of his shared dungeon's suite. Looking up, he noticed two vibrant colored blobs on the other side of his bed.  
  
Looking over at the green and gold blur that was standing next to the pale shaded one, Harry felt around beside him and after a moment located a heavy black boot. With all of his strength, which wasn't much considering he had just woken up by landing on the floor, he lobed the projectile at the two. A heavy 'whap' followed by a female shriek was all that was needed to bring a smile to the nearly blind boy's face.  
  
"Harry! Oooh.. I swear I'll get you back you .you.gender-bender you!"  
  
Harry looked out raged at the insult and call after her flouncing form, "Hey! That was only once and it was for a mission! Miss it-took-me-six- years-to-graduate!"  
  
The sound of a slamming picture told Harry that he hadn't really won the fight, but had the upper hand for the moment.  
  
Over the two years that Harry had know her, Hellaine had always insisted on waking him up in odd and weird ways and then fighting with him like it was his fault when he retaliated. At first it had been out of pure malice, but as time wore on like it had a tendency of doing, it had turned into a ritual for them.  
  
Most of his lovers stayed clear of her after the first night the slept in Harry's bed. It didn't matter to Hellaine who was in the bed with her roommate, if they were there, they were getting subjected to whatever she had cooked up the night before, just like Harry. The only one that laughed at it and approached the pale haired girl afterwards, was Harry's spirit mage.  
  
Actually, now that he thought about it, his small lover was the only one other than Jade that Hellaine actually approved of. The next time he had stayed over, he had actually slipped from the bed twenty minutes before Hellaine, and poured cold water over her in revenge.  
  
Harry had woken up to his roommate's shocked scream and his orange haired mate holding a rather large bucket. To say that Harry was surprised would have been an understatement. Harry was floored, after that incident, whenever he stayed over or the once that he had joined them on a mission, he had smiled quietly and given a small green bucket to Hellaine. It had now become a running joke between the three of them.  
  
"You know, you do have school today right? We need to get you to breakfast, which you are late for, and get you your schedule."  
  
Harry smiled over at his multi-colored lover and slowly got to his feet.  
  
"I agree, skipping a meal should be a crime.let me just get dressed."  
  
Stepping out of his black boxers, Harry slowly sauntered over to the closet that was across the room, next to an old oak wardrobe that Hellaine had just insisted that she put her cloths in. Not that Harry minded. He was willing to get into an all out fight for the closet. All of his cloths needed to be hung up, lest they get wrinkled.  
  
Standing nude in front of the open closet, Harry ignored the beautiful eyes he knew were staring at him, and focused on choosing a proper outfit. Pulling out a few things, Harry then closed the doors and calmly walked back over to his bed, all the time knowing all to well what he was doing to the man that knew he couldn't touch him for lack of time.  
  
After a moment, Harry walked over to his trunk and slowly bent over to retrieve a pair of boxers, slipping into them, he turned to his lover and smiled at the pained and longing expression.  
  
"What do you think? Leather or tights?"  
  
The tights were a running joke between the two for a long time. Theodore had wanted to see him in an outfit similar to that of Romeo's from the Romeo and Juliet. Well, having read the book when he was still going to muggle-school, Harry had refused. So one morning he woke up to find all of his cloths gone except a frilly poets shirt and green tights stating that he had no other choice but to wear them or go naked. Well weighing his options, Harry actually decided to go completely naked.  
  
This had shocked and upset his playful lover. Shock, because he never thought that his younger lover had it in him, and Upset, because everyone was looking at him. It had taken all of ten minutes for Jade to punch a wayward earth mage for grabbing what belonged to him, and getting Harry back to his room where he was quickly ravished, dressed, and told under no circumstances would he ever do that again.  
  
Harry had readily agreed, as long as the magenta hair man never stole his cloths and gave him the choice of going naked of tights. Because going naked was always the better choice.  
  
After getting dressed and going his hair, Harry once again turned to his lover and smiled.  
  
"Ready to go Teddy? I'm sure the others are wondering where we are."  
  
Jade smiled at the use of the variation of his real name. Wrapping his one of his arms around the younger boy's waist, Jade steered them out of the more and up to the great hall to eat.  
  
Draco looked around for his new friend. He hadn't slept in the seventh year dorms last night and now he was late for breakfast Draco didn't know what to think.  
  
For the first time since his crush's disappearance two years prior, the true Draco Malfoy was back. Gone was the sad boy who didn't eat and mopped about. He couldn't wait to see the look on Ronald Weasly's face when he actually fought back when the red head tried to make fun of him in any way.  
  
Looking up as the doors to the great hall rushed open, Draco was stunned into silence at what he saw. Of course he saw his friend, but it was more what he was wearing than anything else.  
  
Midnight was dressed in a loose, flowing black poet's shirt that had a 'V' cut into it and silver lace loosely threaded across the opening. He was also wearing a pair of leather pants that were so tight they looked like a second layer of skin. A wide chain mail belt made of silver instead of steel hung lopsidedly off of his hips. On his feet was a pair of black two and half inch lace up boots. Draco looked closely and noted that the silver haired boy had quick laced the silver laces.  
  
After a moment of surveying the occupants of the great hall, Harry and Jade separated and went to their respective seats. Harry gracefully sat him self in the seat between Draco and Pansy and began eating after a brief smile at them.  
  
"Morning Midnight.sleep well?"  
  
The silver haired boy nodded and swallowed his food in order to answer Pansy's question.  
  
"Yes thank you. Waking up was the problem. My roommate is cruel."  
  
This statement was met with a table full of blank stares. So sighing, Harry proceeded to explain the way Hellaine had woken him up. Most of the table started laughing until Harry reminded them that she was going to be one of their D.A.D.A professors.  
  
"Oh no! We have over half of our classes with those terrible Gryffindors!"  
  
Harry looked over at Basil, who had a stack of schedules in her hand and blinked at her as she stated passing the parchment out. Looking down he discovered that, indeed, he did have all of his classes with his old house.  
  
"Midnight, What classes do you have?" Pansy asked as she leaned over to look over his shoulder. "Let's see. Adv. Transfigurations, Adv. Potions, Adv. Divinations, Adv. Egyptian Hieroglyphs.but Midnight, that's only four.we all have eight. What are you doing for the rest of your classes?"  
  
Harry laughed at the curly haired girls' question and gave her a brilliant smile.  
  
"Why.Teaching you of course. I'm also one of you D.A.D.A teachers. But since I'm only seventeen I have to be in school. It sucks but what can I do? Actually, I really don't need these four classes, but I'm taking them anyways."  
  
Draco looked at Harry's schedule and then at his a few times before smiling.  
  
"Looks like we have the same classes. Except Egyptian Hieroglyphs.I have Ancient Runes.. I pity you. All of your classes are with the Gryffindors, they're just awful."  
  
Harry tilted his head and asked a question that he had wanted to ask for years. Looking around at his new friends, he hoped that they wouldn't give him a stupid excuse.  
  
"Why do you guys hate the them so much? It isn't because they don't care about the hole, 'Pureblood Muggle-born' thing?"  
  
Surprisingly it was Goyle who answered.  
  
"Contrary to popular belief, no. We really don't care about that.well I mean, we do, but not to the extent that everyone thinks we do. Our parents are Pureblood and were raised by pureblooded parents, so its only natural that we grow up with the idea that only purebloods should be aloud to do magic. But the real thing is, Without muggle blood, we would've died out long ago. If you ask some of the first or second year, hell you can even ask some of the third and fourth years, most of them will tell you that they are half-and-half.  
  
The real reason is personality. Gryffindors are bold, and loud. They are more likely to purposely go looking for trouble, without a plan or anything, than to just stay put and think it out. A Gryffindor will explode at the slightest thing, and then make sure that when they get revenge, people know its them who did it.  
  
We Slytherins are different. We are quite and cunning. We don't like to be bothered when we are thinking and when we go out to get into trouble, we are prepared and know what we are going up against to the best that we can. When we get revenge, its silent, quick, and people are going to remember it. We don't worry our selves with 'will they know its us' because no one would think twice about it.  
  
Everyone assumes that we are going to join up with the dark lord at the drop of a dime, just because we are In the same house that Voldermort was, but in truth, it really your actions that shape the wizard, Not the house. Fate in not set in stone, there is always a way to change it.  
  
Another difference between us is that Gryffindors are quick to give their trust to anyone that comes along, as long as they weren't in Slytherin mind you. People have to earn our trust, and that's hard to do. But as soon as you have it, you have it for life. Gryffindors are more than likely to drop you like a hot rock. Sad but true."  
  
Everyone at the table stared at Goyle for a moment before remembering that the 'all bronze no brains' look was just a cover. After a moment people nodded and agreed with what he had said.  
  
Harry had never really seen it that way. Being a former Gryffindor himself, he had to agree with what Gregory had said, Gryffindors were loud and flashy and most of all, likely to drop you like a rock if they thought that you weren't what they wanted you to be.  
  
Smiling Harry motioned for everyone to get their stuff ready, because they all had Potions with the Gryffindors first thing. Harry decided that Dumbledore just did not like him for some reason. Harry laughed when he heard Draco grumbling something along the same lines as what all seventh year Slytherins were thinking.  
  
"Damned old man.Potions should not be this early in the morning.No body really needs to deal with Snape this early.even us. Don't get me wrong, I love the man to death, but Dumbledore must really hate us to make us pretend to be what we're not at this hour."  
  
Pansy laughed and patted the blond boy on the back soothingly.  
  
"Don't worry Draco-baby, just toss one of your amazing insults at Weasly like you did two years ago and everything will be fine."  
  
Harry heard Draco mumble something along the lines of 'I don't want to' but was to busy holding back laughter at the nickname to really hear him properly.  
  
Harry stood next to Crabbe on the way down to the dungeons, Laughing with the rest of the Slytherins and getting to know the people he had hated for years on end alittle better than he had ever thought he would.  
  
Just as Harry was getting into a particularly interesting conversation with Crabbe on the properties of crushed Columbine, when a loud and brash voice call everyone's attention to the stair way.  
  
"Merlin! Why did it have to be you? Isn't bad enough that we have to see you're slimy faces at breakfast?"  
  
Harry wasn't to surprised to see that it was Ron Weasly who had said this. He had always known Ron to be the ultimate Gryffindor, but this was going to far. The Ron Weasly that he had know would never start a fight for no reason.that was usually Draco's job.  
  
Draco let out a small sigh before he put on a mask of pure superiority and hatred. Looking closely, Harry noted that the hatred was real, the rest of it was a mask. Allowing a familiar drawl to flow from his perfect lips, Draco sent a remark at Ron that two years ago would've made Harry boil with rage and jump to his friend's defense.  
  
"Weasly, I'm surprised to see that you're actually here. I would've thought that your house would've fallen over by now, seeing as the sorry excuse you call a house can be in no way structurally sound. I would be thanking all of the stars in the heavens that you're family is wizarding, or you'd be out on the streets."  
  
Ron glared and was about to throw a nasty curse at the blond, when a cold and irritated voice made most of the Gryffindors freeze.  
  
"Mister Weasly, I do hope that you were not about to harm another student, it would be terrible to explain to you head of house why you lost fifty points above and beyond the unfathomable amount you will undoubtedly loose in this class alone."  
  
Draco turned a dazzling smile on his head of house and walked into the room as soon as he could.  
  
" Mister Malfoy.it's good to see that you've gotten back on track. Today class, we will be making the dragons breath potion. Whoever you are sitting next to will be your partner for the rest of the year. I hope you chose wisely... The instructions are in you book. Get to work!"  
  
Looking over at Crabbe, Harry blinked for a moment as the burly looking boy moved to put their cauldron over the flame Harry grabbed his hand. Lowering his voice so that only those around him could hear what he was saying, Harry explained.  
  
"You wouldn't like to do that. Unlike most potions, the dragons breath potion has to be made completely cold. As the ingredients are added, the potion heats up. The last step of the potion is to chill it over night. If you don't do this, the potion will become to hot to do anything with and you will have a ruined potion."  
  
The Slytherins who had been listening to him quickly extinguished the flames under their cauldrons and switched to their partner's cooler cauldrons quickly. Looking over, Harry realized that most of the Gryffindors, with the exception of Hermoine Granger, had preheated their cauldrons and were well into the making of the potion to turn back now.  
  
Raising his hand, Harry hoped that he could maybe save some people from getting burned to badly when a yelp and an explosion caused him to drop his hand turn quickly to see what had happened.  
  
As usual, Neville Longbottom's cauldron was in the middle of melting and the nearly done Dragon's Breath potion was seeping everywhere. As soon as Snape had opened his mouth to yell at the bumbling boy, three more cauldrons began to melt. Soon after that four more began melting and random explosions could be heard though out the room.  
  
Knowing that this would be extremely bad if the potion wasn't cooled off immediately, Harry jumped to the top of his stool to avoid the substance that was burning though everything it touched. With a wave of his hand, Harry cast a fast-acting freezing spell that left everything in the room, except for the people, covered in a thick layer of ice.  
  
"Is everyone alright? Who is burnt other than mister Longbottom? Does anyone need medical attention that can not wait for twenty minutes?"  
  
A few hands rose slightly, but other than that, no one moved. Making his way slowly over to his teacher, Harry looked him over. Snape had gotten a lot of the potion on him as he had tried to help the students get away from the potion while actively trying to freeze the potion himself. But seeing as how much of it had gotten everywhere, Snape's spells did little help, it just paused it for half a millisecond.  
  
"Professor, please let me see your arms, they are what I am most worried about. Your legs we can deal with in a moment."  
  
Reluctantly, Snape held out his arms, watching Harry closely for any motion to pull up his left sleeve any further than it was already burnt off.  
  
Taking a quick look at the angry burns, Harry cast a quick cooling charm, looking over his teacher's legs, Harry quickly did the charm again and moved onto the next person.  
  
"Professor, help me cool off these burns. Draco! Go get Poppy, She'll need to look over Neville. Hurry, that potion doesn't stop at the skin, It burns strait through. We can't move him because of the severity of the wounds." Turning to the person next to him, Harry noticed that it was Hermoine, Noticing the red splotches on her face had arms, Harry set to work.  
  
" Now Hermoine, come on.turn and face me, I need to treat your face first, the charm is fast, but I need your cooperation." Hermoine slowly turned to him and looked at him the best she could. The skin around her eyes was basically gone and her tears were just making it worse. "Alright, this is going to hurt alittle and feel really odd, but don't touch it whatever you do."  
  
At Hermoine's nod, Harry performed the spell and to Hermoine's credit, she didn't make one sound. At that moment Draco came running back into the room, or at lest he tried. The ice under his feet made it a little hard and he crashed into a table in the process.  
  
Poppy Pomfery was a smart woman so when she saw the room ahead, she slowed down and slowly made her way into the room.  
  
"Severus! Mister Midnight, What is going on here?"  
  
Harry answered seeing as Snape wouldn't be able to go through the story with out getting super angry. Quickly explaining that most people didn't follow the directions for the potion, and the after math, Harry went back to healing a sobbing and babbling Lavender Brown's hand.  
  
"I knew it, I just knew it.my tea leaves this morning just told me something bad was going to happen.I knew it!"  
  
Harry tried his best to ignore her as he dropped her hand and moved on to the next person.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Professor Snape and all of the Gryffindor seventh years were forced to go to the hospital wing. As he left, Snape had placed Harry in charge with the words of,  
  
"A War Mage should know what to do. Write a note proclaiming that the rest of the day's classes are canceled and that all Gryffindor seventh years have detention with me tonight."  
  
Harry also heard him still shouting out orders as Pomfery dragged him out of the dungeons, but couldn't hear him to well, so he ignored him.  
  
"Alright, Everyone needs to get out of the room, forget about trying to grab your stuff, you won't get it. It will all be returned to you in the morning.if the classroom is fixed by that point. I-"  
  
Just at that moment a smoking scarlet airplane came zooming in the classroom and right into Harry's hands. Opening it slowly, Harry found himself on the frozen ground with Snape's voice booming from the note at him.  
  
"AND SEVENTY POINTS FROM GRYFFINGOR! .NO MAKE IT SEVENTY-TWO.GRRRRRR"  
  
And with that, the note burned up and disappeared. Draco and Pansy were at Harry's side in an instant helping him up.  
  
"Oh Midnight.are you alright? Wow.I've never seen a howler sent like that before, he must be really mad."  
  
Harry stood and watched everyone get out of the room before he, himself, made his way the non-iced over hallway. When Harry was safely on a traction able surface once again, He turned and closed the door, or tried to at lest. As laughable as it was, the door was frozen solidly to the ground.  
  
After struggling with it for a moment, Harry turned to Crabbe and Goyle. The two nodded and a few bruises later, the two boys finally forced the door shut with a slam.  
  
"Thank you.now lets see.seeing as how none of us have any parchment, or quills for that matter, I guess I'm just going to have to do it my way."  
  
After thinking for a moment, Harry blew across the wooden door. Everyone waited for words to appear, but they didn't. Laughing at all of their confused looks Harry explained.  
  
"It a trick I picked up from a wizard in the Soviet Union a few month ago. When you approach it, your message will appear, but there can be seven people looking at the same message and it can be completely different. If one person reads in English, but another is more versed in French, the message will appear in French for one person and English for another. Or if it's an enemy approaching, and there is classified information in the message, they will see nothing but false information. Nifty huh?"  
  
A few of the Slytherins laughed and tried it out and ended it did appear different to each one of them. Just them the annoying sound of magical bells and whistles sounded releasing the captors of boredom for five to six minutes before they had to get to their next classes.  
  
Groans were heard from many of the Slytherin students as they trudged up the steps and off to their next class. Draco and Harry waved good-bye to their friends as they turned down the corridor that led to the Transfiguration room. Draco looked miserable.  
  
"Hey cheer up Draco-baby, maybe Mcgonagall will let us out early as well because her precious Gryffindors aren't there."  
  
Draco glared at the silver haired boy and sighed.  
  
"Nah, we won't get that lucky, That woman has a stick shoved to far up her ass to even think about letting students out early, or canceling class."  
  
Harry turned surprised eyes to his companion and said with all of the seriousness he could find within himself, "Wow.that's saying something considering we just got out of Severus Snape's class..."  
  
This got a laugh out of the blond. They were both all smiles when they entered the Gryffindor head of house's classroom. Noting that they were the only ones there, Harry and Draco took seats in the front and just sat there.  
  
"So.Midnight, tell me, why didn't you come back to the dorms last night?"  
  
Harry had been waiting for this question all morning, turning so that he could both see the door and look at his friend, Harry explained.  
  
"You see, we mages have a schedule, a way of doing things, a way of life. We follow this to the best we can. When we go on missions, we are paired up. Most of the time, there are eight people in a group. But when you get up to the elite rankings you only have six. My group is the exception. We only have five so we are able to have an extra person brought in with out interrupting our flow. When an elite group already had six and another is brought in, it creates problems. You wold have to have an extra tent for the new people, extra food for two, with only five, we continue to work as if we have six in our unit. That's just the way we work.  
  
My roommate is Quick Silver, I've been with her since I was a trainee. I've learned to deal with her, I know how to handle her mood swings and if she gets trashed on by her resent boyfriend or lover, I know how to clam her down and am able to listen to her incoherent babbling for hours on end until she feel better. If I was to switch, and saw I switched with say.Bloodlust, I think I would go insane, and poor Jade would end up killing Quick Silver after two days of the arrangement. "  
  
Draco nodded at this, he figured this made sense. For a Mage to have a roommate meant they had to be together for along while. Draco had read in a book once that many times, a Mage would keep the same roommate until they die, even if they are of different elements, like fire and water. Often times never replacing them.  
  
Twenty minutes passed and still, no teacher was in sight, so Harry stood up and motioned for Draco to do the same when a tall back woman in a knee length, sleeveless blue dress and blue flats walked into the room.  
  
"Mister Malfoy, please sit down. I believe you have a homework you need to turn in and I'm sure that I can teach you whatever it is that Mcgonagall has planed for the day. Midnight, You will be taking my place in D.A.D.A. Go on now."  
  
Nodding to his mentor, Harry got up to leave when Draco's slightly voice reached his ears.  
  
"Wait, you can leave me! And why am I the only person here?"  
  
A soft laughed rang out from the front of the classroom and Aqua started to explain the situation.  
  
"As it turns out Mister Malfoy, most of the people that are taking this class are Gryffindors, and seeing as how the trouble in potions landed all of them in the hospital wing, you will be the only person in class today. Midnight has to take my place in Defense Against the Dark Arts because he already knows everything that this school can teach him. By the way Midnight, you might want to hurry, I left Quick Silver in charge."  
  
Harry's eyes widened as he did a one-eighty and fled out the door. Aqua laughed at his words as they faded down the hallway.  
  
"Are you Crazy?"  
  
Practically flying down flights of stairs, passed doors that he knew really weren't there and suits of armor that you could only see on certain days of the month in specific weather, Harry finally made it to the D.A.D.A. room. Slipping in Harry heard the last bit of a story he was sure it didn't want to know the entirety of.  
  
".And that is why you never wear moldy cheese on you head."  
  
Rolling his eyes, Harry noted that Quick Silver was up at the front of the room bouncing from table to table full of wide-eyed sixth years. Harry watched for a few minutes as his roommate popped a piece of chocolate in her mouth and giggle madly. Deciding that the poor Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs had had enough madness for one day, Harry cleared his throat and strode up to the front of the class.  
  
"Quick Silver, What in the hell are you doing? And who in their right mind gave you anything sweet?"  
  
Now that Harry had gotten Hellaine to be quite, or at lest as quite as mad giggling could be considered, Harry could her the soft yet startling sounds of someone slamming their head against a wall. Looking around, Harry saw a tall good-looking man in green hitting his head repeatedly.  
  
"Jade! Stop it! Giving yourself more brain damage then you already have for giving her chocolate will not help anything!"  
  
Harry swiftly went over and pried his lover from the wall and slowly walked him over to the desk in front of the room. Glaring at the man, Harry ranted at him for a moment before ending with,  
  
".And What in the Hell were you thinking?"  
  
The magenta haired man looked up at Harry's question and then over to the still giggling War Mage. Deciding that a mad boyfriend was the lesser of the two evils, Jade set about explaining the situation to his irate lover.  
  
"I was going through the desk here, when I opened the second draw to the left and pulled out a nicely wrapped chunk of chocolate about a big a Quick Silver's head. It took her all of ten second to have it out of my hands and on its way into her mouth. It was so scary Midnight, don't ever let me do that again!"  
  
In the time it had take to get this out of him Quick Silver had gone into another story, when Harry began to listen to her again she was just finishing.  
  
"And that is why you never keep chocolate from a woman."  
  
Harry turned to the class and sighed. Giving them the best smile he could given the case, he really hoped they weren't scared too badly.  
  
"I am really sorry about this, but these two need mental help. Please don't take anything Quick Silver said seriously, Except for the moldy cheese on you head thing.you really don't want to do that, and the chocolate thing. I think.I really wasn't listening. But with her it's better to give it to her because she knows when you have it on you. This woman is like a bloodhound.. Class Dismissed. Please read chapters seven and eight and be prepared tomorrow."  
  
As the class quickly gathered their stuff and filed out of the room as quick as the door would let them, Harry turned back to his friends and shook his head.  
  
"What am I going to do with the two of you? Quick Silver, Haven't we told you not to attack us when we have chocolate that you don't know where it came from? Hell, that stuff has probably been here since I went to school here! The only teacher I know that had chocolate on him at all times was Professor Lupin. He was a werewolf. That was in my third year! Now unless I'm wrong that chocolate would have to be at lest four years old!"  
  
Hellaine's eyes grew wide as she listened to her roommate rant. Deciding it was time to stop him, she walked over a sharply hit him over the head.  
  
"Will you get a grip? There is only one this I want you to answer for me before I run out of here and going back to our room and not let you in because you yelled at me."  
  
Harry sighed. He knew that yelling at the pale haired girl had been a mistake, but it was the fist day of school and they had already frightened half of the sixth years and god only knew what they did to the first group. Seeing as how Aqua was sleeping in due to staying up later than normal trying to get the head master to see the need for three rooms.  
  
"What would that be Hell?"  
  
The nineteen year-olds eyes grew to any enormous size, over all Harry figured she was trying to go for the 'I'm-so-cute' look.  
  
"Was the chocolate really four years old?"  
  
At Harry's nod the girl ran from the room, saying something about finding fresh chocolate soon or she was going to have a fit.  
  
"Well my dear Midnight, I think its time to get you back for what you did to me this morning."  
  
Scooping his younger lover into his arms, Jade proceeded to carry the silver haired boy out the door before the panicked complaints started.  
  
"But what about the rest of the classes? And I still have one more class myself and-"  
  
Jade silenced the boy in his arms with a soft kiss that made the other melt.  
  
"As I was saying.I can skip class and I'm sure Aqua and Bloodlust won't mind teaching the rest of the classes."  
  
Smiling Jade, carried Harry all the way to their room in the dungeons with out anyone seeing them. Harry didn't know how it happened but he was glad for it. It had been along time since his Theodore had ever been this romantic and sweet with him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~  
  
Well that's chapter two! I spent a lot of time on this so I hope you guys liked it. Thank you to all that review, I loved them all.  
  
Just a note to everyone, I usually write at night and post in the early hours of the morning so, if you see postings one after another.I have updated. I get into groves were I will update a lot, and then work on another story. If you liked this fic you might like some of my other work as well.  
  
Things will be explained, but to tell you the truth, I don't know how I'm going to explain Dumbledore's lack of knowladge.that's a tough one.  
  
Thank you for reading and Please review, It really does help me to write faster.  
  
Your hard at work author,  
  
Kat =^_^= 


	3. A War Mages Path chapter 3

Chapter 3:  
  
Draco looked around the great hall. It was now dinnertime and now one had seen either Midnight, Jade, Quick Silver, or Bloodlust since just after second hour. Draco was starting to get worried. Just then the doors to the great hall opened and the four missing war mages walked in.  
  
Midnight slipped into the seat on Draco's left and cast the Slytherins staring at him a quick smile as he started to fill his plate with the wonderful food the house elves had made.  
  
Pansy cast a leering look at Midnight as she watched him eat. The warm glow around him was hard to miss place, she herself had had that look after her first time with her boyfriend.  
  
"Oooo someone got some."  
  
Pansy's smile grew as she watched a small blush creep into her silver haired friend's cheeks. Basil laughed and leaned across the table and patted his friend on the back. Crabbe and Goyle also joined in before the question was asked that made the whole table lean in to heard the answer.  
  
"So Midnight.who's the lucky girl."  
  
Draco watched as his friend's face grew slightly redder and he mumbled something unintelligible while shifting his eyes up to the head table quickly. Basil and Draco both caught the motion and followed his gaze.  
  
There, sitting in order of rank, or so most people guessed, were their four new teachers. Aquamarine, dressed in her regal blue dress and soft aqua green accessories, ate slow and gracefully, as if she had all the time in the world. She was also casting a disapproving look at the man to her right.  
  
Jade blushed at her scrutiny and stared down at his plate, the red in his cheeks rivaled his hair. When the man in green began to eat, it was at a slow and careful pace that told most people that he was not used to eating in such a sedate way.  
  
Next to him was a man dressed in flashy reds and bold lavenders. Bloodlust was simply staring out into the sea of black Hogwarts robes. He wasn't eating as much as he was calmly tossing peas at random Hufflepuffs to see their reaction.  
  
A chair was placed between him and the hyper active nineteen year-old that looked like all of the color had been bleached out of her outfit. She wasn't eating much either, she was actually playing with her food. At one point Draco swore that she was talking to a piece of broccoli.  
  
"Midnight. Was it the girl that looks like a ghost? Whats her name.um.Quick Silver! That's it!"  
  
The war mage broke out into laughter at the question.  
  
"Oh my no! The girl talks to her food and pushes me out of bed. I can do a lot better thank you."  
  
After a few minutes, the Slytherins gave up trying to figure out who their friend's lover was, even though Harry found it extremely funny that they couldn't figure it out.  
  
Halfway though dinner, the Slytherins started to ask round about questions that had no real answer. Harry found it quite amusing. Millicent Bullstrod another seventh year with gleaming black hair and shining brown eyes turned to Harry and smiled.  
  
"Alright War Mage.your turn," Harry was confused when the dark haired girl cast a long look over at the Gryffindor table and then turned back to him after she was sure that she had at lest half of the table's attention. "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around .did it actually fall?"  
  
Thinking for a moment, Harry actually considered it before remembering that it was a question that wasn't supposed to half a logical answer. Sighing, Harry looked at the girl and smiled.  
  
"Well if a tree fell.it wasn't planted very well was it?"  
  
He answer startled those around him and after a minute, the entire table was rolling with laughter. Basil actually fell out of his seat because he was laughing so hard. Personally, Harry didn't think it was that funny.but to each their own he guessed.  
  
"Ok you guys, Why is it that every time you ask a question, you look over at the Gryffindors?"  
  
Basil pulled himself back into his seat and smiled at the mage as he explained, casting small looks over at the table in question.  
  
"Well they are always thinking that every conversation we have is about them, that every time we talk to one another, we are planing to kill them in their sleep. So one day, Draco just sent this totally evil look over at Ron Wesley and started talking to Pansy about curtain designs, but he had a look on his face that said he was plotting something terrible. Now every time we want to joke around, we look at them and then start talking to someone about something completely silly. They go ballistic.its great. And everyone calls us paranoid."  
  
Again, the table burst out in laughter that would sound evil to any outsider, but to Harry.even after one day of being around them, it sound rich and cultured. It was like one of the high council member's laugh when Harry had first been brought before them. They all sounded wise and prideful, but one stood out above all others.  
  
His was called Dragon Tamer, he was the youngest of them all, seeing as he was sixty-two, that didn't say much, but it was young enough to sound different than the others by far. For a year and a half, Harry went to the calm man when he was having trouble in his studies, or when his training got to be too much, Dragon Tamer was the grandfather figure Dumbledore could never be.  
  
Harry was devastated when he received news of his adopted grandfather's death the day of his graduation. An elderly high fire mage approached Harry right after his name had been stated and gave him a package. Opening it slowly, Harry noticed his friend's elegant handwriting on an envelope lying on top of a beautiful black and silver outfit. The note read like so:  
  
My Dear Child ~  
  
I am sorry to leave you so soon, I had hoped to see you become a full War Mage, but seeing as I know that my time is coming to a close even as I write this to you, I don't think I'll get that pleasure. I want you to know that you have become very close to my heart and I hope you will wear my colors as yours.  
  
In this box you will find a black and silver outfit that I hope you wear with pride and when you do wear it, you remember me. My colors are now yours. Wear them and know where you come from.  
  
My dear Harry, I want you to know one more thing before I leave this wold.My name. My name is Nathaniel..  
  
Always in my heart,  
  
Nathaniel Griggs  
  
High Soul Mage Dragon Tamer  
  
Harry did take his adopted grandfather's colors and wore them very proudly.  
  
"Hey, Midnight, why is there a chair in between Bloodlust and Quick Silver?"  
  
Harry laughed at the question and looked up at the empty chair. Thinking on how to answer that, he was saved momentarily when he saw Aqua motion for him to approach the table. Smiling at his friends, Harry got up and walked to stand in front of his instructor.  
  
"Yes Ma'am?"  
  
Harry stood very strait and showed no emotion on his face as he watched his mentor finish her dinner. All war mages were trained to do this, Harry had once stood by Aqua's side for three days without eating or saying a word because she had told him to. A war mages dedication to their teacher is hard to break.  
  
"War Mage Midnight, I understand your reasons for disappearing earlier this morning, but in the future, do not let it happen again. If you are going to tease Jade follow through with it and be late for class if anything else. Am I understood?"  
  
Harry nodded and waited to be dismissed.  
  
"Good, now, join us for desert. I insist."  
  
Blinking, Harry looked over to the empty chair and then over to the elderly head master who was looking at him with an unreadable expression.  
  
"As much as I would love to Aqua, I don't think Dumbledore would like it. Seeing as how his aura is telling me to go sit back down."  
  
Aqua looked over at the old man and then turned to smile at the young silver haired boy in front of her.  
  
"It might be telling you to go back to your table, but I know for a fact that he is just as disturbed as the next person watching Quick Silver talk to her food. You are really the only person she will shut up for. We don't know why."  
  
Harry laughed and nodded to the woman. Walking around the table, he calmly placed a hand on the pale haired girl's shoulder. Hellaine looked up at him as she halted her in depth conversation with a carrot. Quickly stuffing the orange vegetable into her mouth, she smiled up at her roommate and motioned to the chair on her left.  
  
Desert went by swiftly and before he knew it, Harry was being lead down to the dungeons by his overly talkative roommate and his magenta haired lover who had his arm wrapped securely around the younger man's waist.  
  
"Midnight! Midnight! Hey.oh umm.. Sorry Professors. Um Are you coming back to the common room for a while?"  
  
Millicent blushed when Jade raised an eyebrow at her. Quick Silver on the other hand laughed and bounced over to the girl.  
  
"Are we aloud to come as well?"  
  
The girl hesitated for a moment, then nodded as she glanced at the magenta haired man's arm wrapped firmly around her housemate's waist and smirked quickly before clearing her throat and addressing them again.  
  
"Please follow me."  
  
On the way down to the Slytherin common rooms, Harry and Jade walked a few passes behind an overly bouncy Quick Silver. Jade had unwound his arm from the shorter boy's waist and was content to just walk as closely as he could to the boy without attracting Millicent's watchful eye.  
  
"Alright, here we are.let's see.what was that password.oh yes!"  
  
Millicent quickly tapped one of the bricks on the wall and repeated the password. A few moments passed and still nothing happened Harry was about to suggest trying it again, when a scarping noise was heard and the wall slowly moved to the side.  
  
"Welcome Professors.to the Slytherin common room.."  
  
Harry laughed at her and walked though the opening. Jade and Quick Silver followed closely and were shocked to see there was a party going on.  
  
From what Harry had remembered and what the intelligence had said, Slytherins hated to be around each other and were usually very with drawn and suspicious of one another. But what the three war mages saw contradicted what they had been told.  
  
Slytherin's were taking food from each other with out caring where they had gotten it, they were accepting drinks and laughing with each other. Harry saw a few couples kissing and others that looked like they were trying to occupy the same space while dancing. Looking around the room, Harry also noticed that quite a few people were barely dressed and others were betting on how long it would take them to have nothing on at all. Millicent ran over to place a bet on Pansy Parkinson, who was making out with a red head sixth year Harry couldn't quit remember the name of.  
  
"Midnight, glad Millicent was able to find you. Come over here and sit down, I saved us seats.oh, hello professors."  
  
Basil Zambini smiled a wide, slightly drunken smile and dragged Harry over to a set of black leather couches and tossed him into one next to Draco Malfoy who smiled at his friend and offered him a drink of a dark liquid Harry wasn't quit sure of.  
  
"It's a muggle drink they call Dr. Pepper.I became obsessed with it a few months ago. Go ahead, I don't drink unlike my house mates here."  
  
Harry nodded his thanks and took a sip before looking over at Jade and offering him some. Looking around, Harry noticed that Hellaine had disappeared and grew alittle worried.  
  
"Jade.um.where did Quick Silver go?"  
  
The red head pointed over to the makeshift dance floor. Looking over at the Slytherin's who looked like one big orgy, Harry noticed that right in the think of them was his missing roommate. Shaking his head, Harry laughed at the pale haired wild child.  
  
"Hey Midnight.would you like to dance?"  
  
Harry smiled up at a Seventh year girl he didn't know and shook his head.  
  
"Sorry, you're really not my type, but if it's only as friends and you don't expect anything, then sure."  
  
The girl looked crestfallen for a moment before she looked between Harry and Draco and then back the Harry and nodded. The girl, who later told Harry her name was Rayanna Illisia Playact. Everyone called her R.I.P.  
  
Through out the night, Harry danced with a lot of people. Draco was his partner on more than on occasion and Jade had decided not to be a wallflower and joined him once or twice as well. Around three in the morning Harry decided that the party was winding down.  
  
"Hey Draco, this was great. What was it for anyways?"  
  
Draco smiled at his war mage housemate and yawned.  
  
"Well, we always have parties. This one was for the first years. It was kind of their 'Welcome-to-Slytherin' party.you know?"  
  
Harry thought for a moment. He had never pictured the Slytherin's doing something like that.The Gryffindors banded together on special occasions to throw a party, but Harry never remembered a 'Welcome-to-Gryffindor' party.there never was one. Smiling back at his blond friend. Harry decided it was time to leave.  
  
"Well thank you for letting us stay, and thanks for letting Jade and Quick Silver stay, they had fun.but this party has died and its time to go."  
  
Draco looked around at the random Slytherins on the dance floor and then over to the other Slytherin's kissing and making out. He didn't see what Midnight saw. Harry noticed the look and laughed. Pointing over to the middle of the dance floor, Harry enlightened his friend.  
  
"When Quick Silver starts sing karoke, you know the party has died one to many times."  
  
Both boys laughed as they heard the pale haired girl singing the closing lines to 'Believe' by Cher. A soft sigh and a murmur caused Harry to look down at the older mage that was using his lap as a pillow. Harry shook his head and said his good-byes to Draco as he lift his lover gently and held him close to hi chest and he went over to get the drunk war mage he was sure he was going to have to drag away from the microphone.  
  
"Quick Silver, come on.we need to get back to our room. You have to teach in the morning."  
  
The girl gave a wild jerk and glared at her roommate.  
  
"Go away, they all want to listen to me.my fans.no one at home wants to hear me, but they do.look at them, they are all looking and listening to me."  
  
Harry looked. No one was really paying any attention to her, they were all either passed out or making out with such a passion, that Harry was scarred they were going to inhale their partners faces of in a moment. Sighing, Harry turned back to his friend who was now singing something Harry had never heard of.  
  
"Quick Silver -please-, I'm begging you, I need you to come back with me."  
  
The girl ignored him and continued to sing extremely off tune. Suddenly, a white and blue light flashed from behind her and she fell back into strong arms, completely knocked out.  
  
Blue eyes that bordered on silver smiled down at Harry.  
  
"Lead the way to your room, I'll carry her."  
  
Harry thanked Draco and slowly made his way through the common room. Stepping over random people, Harry finally made it to the wall. Draco repeated the password and the two walked out side by side. Harry and Draco walked silently through the corridors of the dungeons and Harry finally called for the bland to stop.  
  
A picture of a little girl hung on the stone wall. She smiled when she saw Harry.  
  
"Hi...the tall lady was by here looking for you, but I told her you hadn't come back, so she said to tell you that she needs to see everyone in the morning after your work outs. She sounded serious, she didn't even stay and play with me for awhile. Will you play with me? I haven't seen you since before dinner."  
  
Harry smiled up at the little girl and glanced at Draco, before looking at her again.  
  
"Cindy, I'll play with you tomorrow, I promise. But its time for me to get into bed and I want you to do the same, alright? Sweet dreams."  
  
With that, the painting melted away to reveal an opening were the picture had been before. Draco followed the silver haired war mage inside the room.  
  
"You can put her over there."  
  
Draco nodded and walked over to a large bed with gray drapes and ice blue blankets. Pulling back the blue covers and laying the girl down, he was surprised to see that she blended in to the bed so well, if he hadn't been looking, he wouldn't have know she was there at all.  
  
Turning back to his friend, Draco stopped and stared at the scene before him. Midnight was placing a half-naked Jade into his bed.  
  
Harry smiled down at his older lover. Jade's red hair spilling haphazardly over the cool silk of his sliver pillows. Jade's pale, yet tanned skin contrasted greatly with the black sheets. Harry gazed down and the beautiful man before him and smiled. It wasn't often that that he just got to look at his boyfriend. Usually he was training with him, so he had to watch Jade's body's movements to stay alive. Other times, when they were doing much more pleasurable activities, Harry was concentrating on nothing but the sensations his lover's body was giving him. It was the rare occasion he got to just sit back and watch the man sleep.  
  
A movement behind him interrupted the moment. Turning, Harry smiled at his blond friend.  
  
"I don't know the password to his rooms so I'm going to let him sleep here tonight and sleeping in ones clothing isn't good, so."  
  
Both boys blushed slightly as an uncomfortable silence befell the room. Harry looked around and sighed. He knew Draco had seen him looking at Jade...that was alittle embarrassing. For a moment, Harry had completely forgotten that he was even there. That moment could've gotten him killed. Jade had always told him that falling in love was the worst thing that could ever happen to you. He said that it clouded you judgment, made things that would usually seem second nature feel wrong, and make you question your superiors. They had agreed from the moment they became lovers to never let love enter their relationship, but neither had been able to stop it.  
  
It was an unspoken love and each knew it for what it was. Everything had been fine for the first seven months of their relationship, until one day, a mission had come through for a rookie team to go and test what they had learned. Harry and Hellaine were chosen, along with three earth mage trainees and a fire mage.  
  
It was a week into the mission when Harry received a vision of the mission terrible failure. At the time it had scarred Harry so badly he had woken Hellaine up by screaming in her ear. Telling her of the dream, she smiled at him and told him it was just that, a dream and instructed him to go back to sleep.  
  
The mission had dragged on and on and finally they made it to the camp they were supposed to scout out. Looking around, they didn't notice anything out of the normal, so the earth mages decided to go in first. Harry got a flash out something from the weird dream he had had and ran forward to warn them when suddenly the camp went up in flames.  
  
The next thing Harry remembered was Jade screaming at him to wake up and crying in to his chest begging him to say anything, to show some sign of live. Harry remembered looking over at him and trying to say his name, but all that came out was a week squeaking noise.  
  
Jade had sat up so fast Harry was pretty sure he got whiplash and leapt on him, giving him the most soul searing kiss of his life. When he pulled back to look into Harry's green eyes, Harry saw it, for just a brief moment, but it was there. Love.  
  
That night, Jade held Harry closely as they slept. As soon as he thought Harry was asleep, Jade had broke down crying, thanking every god he could think of for letting him keep his heart. In the morning, after a light breakfast, the older mage leaned over and ever so lightly, brushed his lips across his younger lovers. When they pulled back, Jade pulled the stunned boy into a strong hug and whispered in his her softly. It was only one word, but it was the word Harry would treasure all of his life.  
  
"Theodore"  
  
Harry was later told by Quick Silver, that the camp that was said to be the breeding ground of werewolf-dragon hybrids was just a trap to kill the young war mages. No one ever figured out who started the rumor, or who decided that it would be a great training mission, but it had sure scared plenty of people, and made them think twice about sending the young trainees before checking it out first.  
  
Quick Silver also said that the magenta haired man hadn't left his side since he arrived. Aqua had told them of the explosion. She said that when Jade heard that one of the boys had died, he had rushed straight to the infirmary to wait for the bodies to be delivered.  
  
Hellaine told him that for a month Jade refused his mission, threatened to kill the nurse who told him to leave and ignored the high council's direct orders on multiple occasions. Harry had never told Jade that he knew what he had done over the weeks he was out, and really, Harry didn't think there was a need to. He knew that Jade loved him and that was all that he needed.  
  
Draco's soft voice cut through the silence like a steak knife.  
  
"I had better be going, The others will be waking up soon so I had better be there to point the first years to the bathroom."  
  
Smiling at his friend, Harry nodded and walked him to the prorate entrance. Tapping it twice, the canvass once again melted away, leaving behind a gapping hold and a picture frame.  
  
"Good-bye Draco. See you tomorrow in class, if we even have potions tomorrow. Did you notice Snape wasn't at dinner? I hope he's alright."  
  
Draco laughed and bid his good bye to the teenaged war mage and left. Turning back to his room after the painting had reappeared, Harry started taking off his cloths and carefully hanging them over a chair by a big oak writing desk. He was just peeling off his pants, and complaining about it to no end, when he heard a soft bought of stifled laughter coming from his bed.  
  
Sighing, Harry finished and walked over to the large piece of furniture to gaze down at his still half asleep, but laughing boyfriend.  
  
"And what may I ask is so funny?"  
  
The red head moved to the side and pulled back the covers just enough for Harry to slide under them. Wrapping his arms around the younger boys waist and pulling him close, Jade smiled and kissed the back of Harry's neck.  
  
"On nothing my prodigy.go to sleep.we have to be up soon."  
  
Harry accepted the answer and snuggled deeper into his lover's embrace. Sleep quickly claimed him and soon, his world was nothing but darkness.  
  
The morning came quicker than Harry had thought it would and as per normal, Hellaine woke him up in her usually fashion. Only this time she was treated to a slight surprise.  
  
Jade's eyes snapped open when he felt something move slowly up his leg, thinking Harry was in a playful mood, the older war mage turned over and intended to give the younger boy a piece of his mind for wanting to play so early in the morning. When he realized Harry's back was to him and his hands were under his head.  
  
Eyes widening slowly, Jade pulled back the blankets of the bed and let out a scream that was probably heard all over the castle. Jumping up, he danced around for a moment trying to dislodge the snake that was wrapped around his leg when he realized that wasn't the only snake he had to deal with.  
  
Groaning, Harry turned over and mumbled something into his pillow. Jade panicked when Harry wasn't waking up or getting out of the snake infested bed.  
  
"Harry, Harry wake up.please wake up." Jade was about to spell him awake, when Harry sat up and glared at him.  
  
"Ted, If you don't shut up I'm going to ki-"  
  
Harry stopped mid rant and noticed his lover's stark white face. Looking him up and down, Harry realized there was a snake wrapped securely around his leg and willing to bite at any moment. Harry was about to laugh when he noticed that there were hisses coming from all around him.  
  
Vaulting from the bed, Harry clutched onto his lover tightly and stared at the snakes with startled eyes. A hissing sound drew his attention to the snake that was causing Jade to going into hysterics.  
  
"Jade, I need you to calm down, he is just as scared as you are. Please stop hyperventilating for half a moment and let me think."  
  
Jade was too far-gone to hear Harry and was very close to fainting. Quickly calling to the snake, Harry pleaded with it to let go and finally, after agreeing not to destroy it like they would the others, The snake unwrapped it self and slithered up Harry's arm and coiled its self around his upper bicep.  
  
"Jade? Jade? Teddy.oh come on now calm down.shhh."  
  
Harry sank to the floor with his shaking boyfriend and was shocked when the red head stared to cry and buried his face in Harry's shoulder.  
  
"Oh god Harry.Oh god I hate snakes, please don't let it touch me again."  
  
Harry stroked the man's hair and rocked him back and forth slowly. After a good thirty minutes of this, Jade's shaking had gone down and his sobs had quieted.  
  
"Do you feel better?"  
  
Jade nodded and bit his lip as he looked up into Harry's eyes. Kissing him lightly, he tried to pour everything he could into the kiss, but was still alittle shaken, so it ended up just making Harry smile and kiss him back before helping him stand up and looking over at the bed.  
  
"Now what to do about those.and then how to get back at Hell for doing it."  
  
Jade made a whimpering sound and turned away from the bed so he wouldn't have to look at all of the snakes crawling over each other. Harry sighed and cast a quick spell and with in moments, all of the snakes were gone, leaving nothing behind but a bunch of dust.  
  
"Lets get dressed Teddy, The others must be waiting for us.will you be alright? I never knew you had such a fear of snakes."  
  
Jade didn't say anything, but walked over to Harry's closet. Shifting all of the cloths until her found what he wanted, he tossed an outfit over to his young lover and grabbed the only green one there was. Looking it over for a moment, He nodded and began to dress.  
  
Harry took this as a sign that he didn't want to talk about it and turned to begin dressing as well. After pulling on the pants, Harry set about trying to figure out how to get his shirt on. It didn't look like anything more than strips of black leather and buckles.  
  
After struggling for a bit more, Harry finally figured out how to get it on and he was right. The shirt was nothing more than seven strips of leather and a lot of buckles. It had a high neck and no sleeves, surprisingly, Harry didn't remember the shirt at all, and he was sure he wouldn't have bought a mid-drift.but oh well. Jade was in one of his moods and it was best not to question him when he got that way.  
  
Awhile later, Harry and Jade made their way up the stairs to the great hall. Throwing the doors open, the whole hall turned and looked at them. Walking slowly, Harry turned and was about to go to the Slytherin table where he noticed Draco, Basil, and Pansy and saved him a place, when strong arms caught him around the waits and halted his progress.  
  
Looking up into his lover's soft golden eyes, Harry nodded and walked with him up to the teacher's table and allowed the red head to hold his chair for him as he sat. Smiling at him, Harry then looked over to snickering Quick Silver and glared, effectively shutting her up.  
  
Harry noticed the Gryffindor Seventh years were back at their table. They all looked rather blue and slightly gray. Harry remembered those colors from when he had tried that potion the first time. Looking down the staff table, Harry noticed that Snape was back as well and he to looked just slightly blue and gray, only much less drastically than the poor Gryffindors who were being teased to no end.  
  
Shifting his gaze down to his Slytherin friends, Harry saw them looking back up at him curiously. Smiling down at them and winking to Draco, Harry was certain today was going to be a good day.well, as good as it could get considering the morning he had and the snake that was wrapped around his waist like some bizarre belt.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~  
  
Ok, the third chapter is now up! Thank you to all of the people who read the first two chapters and reviewed, it really helped me remember there were actually people reading this.  
  
Please review and tell me what you think. I love to hear your thoughts. If you don't review I might not remember to update.  
  
Thanks again and Happy reading!  
  
Your hard at work author,  
  
Kat =^_^= 


	4. A War Mages Path chapter 4

Disclaimer and everything is in the first chapter  
  
Chapter 4:  
  
The bell was ringing, symbling the end of Harry's Egyptian Hieroglyphs class. Stretching, Harry began to gather his things together slowly, so that he could make an entrance to his next class of D.A.D.A. He briefly wondered what house he wold be teaching this hour.  
  
Walking out of the bright classroom, Harry made is way to his next class. Ironically, it was going to be Adv. Defense Against the Dark Arts so, Harry would be teaching this hour, along with both Jade and Bloodlust.  
  
Harry remembered the first time the council assigned him to substitute for a class of beginning Crystal Mages, their regular mage was out on a mission and one of the high council members suggested assigning a newly appointed War Mage take over for the remainder of the mission.  
  
Two days later, they had a new mage to take over for Harry because the students couldn't handle his amazing mood swings and odd tempers. Aqua had laughed and said that Harry just didn't have the patience to deal with younger children and told him it served to council right for appointing a War Mage to begin with.  
  
About.five hallways away from the classroom, two strong, well-muscled arms wrapped around Harry's waist and pulled him into a passageway behind a tapestry. Harry tensed up and immediately slammed his elbow back into a firm abdomen.  
  
A small groan was heard from behind him and Harry spun around and had a dagger pointed at his assailant's larynx. Blinking, Harry looked into gold eyes that danced with both pain and laughter. Growling, the silver haired boy returned the dagger to a hidden space that was some where on his person.  
  
"Jade, You are going to get yourself killed one of these days. Sneaking up on me like that.Do you have a death wish?"  
  
The older mage laughed and kissed his irate lover on the nose.  
  
"I'm with you aren't I?"  
  
Harry had to agree that he had a point. Harry was as reckless as a mage could be. Anyone who got involved with him knew that they were in for a hell of a ride. Worry was an up-front thing. All of Harry's lovers worried about him when he was on a mission. He held the record for visiting the infirmary the most within a month.  
  
After his eighth broken rib in ten days, The infirmary decided to give him his own room and decided it was safer for everyone if they didn't have to waist that extra moment trying to find a bed for him.  
  
Harry was brought out of his memory chain when a sharp and unhappy hiss filled his ears.  
  
~ Let go of me.. ~  
  
Harry leaned up and kissed a startled Jade before slipping from his grasp and turning slightly.  
  
"Alright you, we have to be in class right now, what is the big deal with grabbing me and getting me back here.other than to make us late and hopefully get in a grope or two."  
  
The older mage laughed and tossed a bundle of black cloth at him. Unwrapping it, Harry noted that it was a change of cloths.  
  
"This morning I was alittle.off. And I'm sorry for just tossing cloths at you. What you're wearing now is great, but maybe something different would be better seeing as you'll be teaching today."  
  
Harry laughed and shook his head, giving the cloths back to his red hair lover.  
  
"I love it and will be happy to wear it tomorrow, but right now, I'm going to stay in what I have on. The cloths don't make the teacher. They should respect me no matter what I'm wearing. Don't you think?"  
  
Jade laughed and nodded, making the cloths in his arms vanish. He smiled at his mate and kissed his hand before nodding.  
  
"I agree, I have something to do before I can get to class, so you go on ahead and Bloodlust and I will be their shortly."  
  
Harry panicked slightly as he saw his lover walk back out of the small nook he had pulled Harry into. Harry followed him quickly.  
  
"Wait! You mean I'll be teaching on my own?"  
  
But Jade was gone, sighing, Harry made his was to the teacher-less D.A.D.A. room as fast as he could.  
  
Reaching the door, Harry frowned. The noise level was off the charts and that was just with the door closed! Harry was slightly afraid to know what it sounded like on the other side of the wooden slab. Steeling himself, Harry opened the door and walked in.  
  
"I'd like everyone to sit down and put your textbooks away. We're going to start now."  
  
Looking around the room, Harry noticed that Draco and Pansy were sitting together, They didn't even have their textbooks with them. In fact, non-of the Slytherins had their textbooks, most of them were slumped over with their heads pillowed in their arms, looking like they were supporting the worst hangovers in the world.Which Harry didn't doubt for a moment.  
  
The Gryffindors on the other hand had quieted down, but were still talking, and basically ignoring him. Hermoine Granger had but her book away, but was involved in a conversation with Ronald Weasly that didn't involve to much talking.  
  
Lavender Brown was exchanging hair care tips with her best friend Pavartii Patill while at the same time, applying massive amounts of blindingly red lipstick to her already overly painted lips.  
  
Shaking his head, Harry decided that he could just talk over them and get on with his lesson. Picking up his wand, Harry tapped a piece of chalk and started to talk while the white stick flew over the board behind him.  
  
"Ok, Today we are going to learn a-"  
  
He was cut of by a loud fit of giggles coming from Lavender as Rayanna groaned and covered her ears to drowned out the high pitched noise coming from the brow haired girls throat.  
  
Harry shot R.I.P. a sympathetic look along with a small smile and went on with his lecture, pointedly ignoring the buzzing Gryffindors, hopping that they would just shut up.  
  
"Anyways, Most of the time the curse I'm going to teach you isn't used-"  
  
Again he was interrupted, this time it was Slytherin boy that Harry couldn't remember the name of.  
  
"So whats the use of the curse if we're not going to use it all the time?"  
  
Harry glared and opened his moth to respond when Lavender tossed her slightly curled hair over her shoulder and opened her mouth. Letting out the sound a seagull made when it died. Harry assumed she called it a voice, but to Harry it sounded like it just needed to be put out of its misery.  
  
"Yeah, I mean, to defend ourselves, aren't we supposed to know like.the pepper spray curse and stuff like that? We'll use that more that we'll ever use whatever you're going to teach use."  
  
Harry's eyes darkened and his lips twitched into a dangerous smile. Snapping his fingers, Lavender and the other boy were in front of him in an instant.  
  
"Well Miss. Brown... Mr.. Um..." Harry waited.  
  
"Blackwell, Migeal Blackwell"  
  
Harry nodded as he walked around them and drew a large circle as he walked. He remembered when this was done to him, when he was in his first week of training, he had questioned Aqua one time to many and she had decided show him and let him find out for himself. It wasn't a pleasant experience. That's for sure. And one not soon forgotten.  
  
Clapping his hands, the circle turned golden and the floor within the circle turned to sand. A tan looking dragon with long horns and sharp claws appeared in front of the two teens.  
  
"Miss. Brown, Mr. Blackwell, You are in the middle of the desert on a business trip. Suddenly, a Saharan dust dragon attacks you, What are you going to do?"  
  
The Dragon let out a mighty roar and snapped at Lavender as she screamed and ran to the edge of the circle. Migeal on the other hand, stood his ground and shot a flare at the beast. Shaking it off, the Dragon reared up and slammed its weight back down, causing a cloud of sand to rise up around it.  
  
"This particular dragon is commonly found in most desserts. It skins' color and shape allowing it to blend into its surrounding very well. As with most dragons, it is a very privet creature and this particular species is rarely found long enough to be studied properly. So, not much is know on them."  
  
Midnight paused as Lavender's shrill scream sounded though the room. Turning slightly, Harry spared the golden ring holding the two students captive a small glance before going back to circulation of the room.  
  
"I hope you're getting this Miss. Brown. Anyways, When young, a dragon's hide is soft and easily damaged, that's why they don't leave the mother's side for two years. Dragons age very differently the we do. To a dragon, Two years is barely a blink to them. The oldest dragon is seven hundred and eighty-three. I had the pleasure of meting him once and had a pleasant conversation with him."  
  
A roar of rage rang through the classroom and Lavender's hysterical crying was drowned out for a moment.  
  
"This species is know for its vulnerability around its under-belly. A quick electric spell to the right spot and they will stop long enough for you to get away."  
  
Harry snapped his fingers again and the circle, along with the dragon and sand, was gone, leaving a crying Lavender and a ruffled Migeal behind. Turning to them, Harry rose a well-shaped eyebrow.  
  
"Now I hope you were paying attention that time.Take your seats."  
  
Just as the two shaken teens scrambled over to their seats, the classroom door burst open and in walked Jade and Bloodlust, surprised to see the class quite and sitting straight up, even the Slytherins, even though their heads must've been trying to split open at the moment. Jade looked over at his comrade and smiled.  
  
"I see you started without us."  
  
Harry laughed and smiled back.  
  
"Indeed I did. Where did you go?"  
  
Bloodlust quietly held up a small vile of light blue stuff that looked more like sludge than liquid and gave a smile that would've been frightening to anyone who didn't know him well. In fact, it frightened most of the students. Jade laughed and tucked his magenta hair behind his ear.  
  
"We stopped by our room and grabbed every ounce of this stuff that we could. It doesn't taste good, but I remember Spit Fire give it to me when I was younger.She never let me get away with being drunk for too long. Always wanted me to be just as perky as her."  
  
Harry laughed and helped pass out the containers to his friends. Draco made a face as he drained the vile and shuddered as the pounding in his temples stopped abruptly. Pansy sighed and thanked her silver haired savior. R.I.P. glared over at sniffling Lavender and threatened her, causing the girl to burst out into tears again.  
  
"So, Midnight. I see you got them to listen to you.what did you do? Set a rabid Hippogriff on them?"  
  
Harry laughed and winked at him before turning and gliding to the front of the room.  
  
"Something like that."  
  
And with that, no more questions were asked. Jade and Bloodlust helped Harry teach the class a simple electricity curse and by the time class was over, most people could at lest get a small shock to appear. Harry smiled and told them that for homework, they were to write a seven-inch essay about Saharan Desert Dragons, Due two weeks from then.  
  
Draco, Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, Basil, and R.I.P. waited for their friend after class. They had one more class to go and then they were free for the rest of the night. Harry thanks god for small miracles. Midnight smiled at his friends and motioned that he'd be there in a moment. Turning back to his lover and his lovers' roommate, he grinned widely.  
  
"Thank you guys, I know what you were doing."  
  
Robyn placed a hand on his young friend's shoulder and flashed him a tainted smile.  
  
"We are proud of you child. You showed your true allegiances today. Aqua was testing you. She knew that if left alone, with no one else there, the class would run wild, and even though you were there, she knew they didn't see you as a Mage, they saw you as a student. It is hard for a Mage, War Mages in particular, to go back to their homes and see what they once had. Many young Mages have faltered and chosen to go back to what they once knew. Aqua was putting you through the final test. You passed, and not only that, but you gained the.cooperation of your peers.that takes a lot."  
  
Harry gave his brother in arms a grateful smile and hugged him quickly. Turning to Jade, he saw nothing but pride and love in his eyes. And he knew that he was now forever a War Mage first and Harry Potter was just a name of his past.  
  
Smiling at his fellow Mages and placing his hand lightly on Jades' arm, the War Mage Midnight walked off with a slight bounce in his step to his next class.  
  
Basil leaned forward and laughed at his bouncy friend.  
  
"So Midnight, you ready for death 5-6?"  
  
R.I.P. laughed at the War Mages confused face and launched into an explanation.  
  
"About.seven years ago, a boy named Harry Potter attended Hogwarts. The boy had defeated the Dark Lord as an infant and was instantly proclaimed a hero, being called 'The-boy-who-lived'. In Harry's third year, he signed up for divinations. Little did he know the teacher is a complete head case and predicted his death every chance she got. Well this went on for another year until about two years ago when the boy up and disappeared. The professor freaked out saying that she had known he was dead for months. Dumbledore was barely able to keep the wizarding world from got ballistic by telling them that he knew where Harry was and that no matter what, he was safe and being trained to fight Voldermort again.  
  
The wizarding world settled down after that and even though there is still the random person who swears they've seen Harry Potter's ghost, things have been going pretty smooth. Trelawny still has 'flashes' of where Harry's body may be and bemoans his 'tragic death'. But nobody but Lavender Brown, Pavartii Patill, and the random Hufflepuff or two believe her."  
  
Harry laughed and shook his head at the story.  
  
'Its just like that crazy old bat to tell a tale like that. The only this she was ever right about was Peters' return in third year.'  
  
A tap on his shoulder forced him out of his thoughts. With out thinking, Midnight grabbed the hand and flipped the unfortunate person over his shoulder and onto the floor with a resounding smack. Said person grumbled and slowly sat up.  
  
"Oh man.did anyone get the number of that bus?"  
  
Harry snorted before giving his blond friend and apologetic smile and helping him up. Draco moaned and accepted the hand after making Midnight promise not to get lost in his thoughts again. Harry laughed.  
  
"I can't promise that Draco, A War Mage is known for their quick reactions and their 'shoot-first-ask-questions-later' attitude."  
  
Draco nodded his understanding and motioned for the Mage to climb the golden ladder that took them into the most stifling room in the castle.  
  
Dark drapes hung over large windows, blocking the natural light and effectively leaving the students to suffocate under the blanket of thick incense smoke and heavy perfumes.  
  
The room reminded Harry of better days when he was just a carefree boy of thirteen reading tealeaves and being told he was going to die. Or of his fourth year when he would sit at the table we was walking towards now, leaning out the window trying to get some fresh air, or trying to keep his soft giggles at bay as he heard a snore come from their teacher as they 'meditated'.  
  
Sitting down with his friends, Harry awaited the arrival of the drama queen known as Trelawny. As usual, the woman swept into the room, followed by the sounds of bells and a heavy cloud of perfume that just added to the ungodly smell of the tower.  
  
"We will be just a moment as we wait for mister Weasly to join us."  
  
Just as she said this, Ronald Weasly scrambled into the room and blushed as he noticed everyone's eyes on him.  
  
"Mister Weasly, Please take a seat. Everyone, please take out your crystal balls and we shall begin today's class with the gazing technique I taught you yesterday."  
  
The sounds of zippers and heavy thunks were heard as the large spheres hit the table. Harry rolled his eyes and got out his crystal ball as instructed. Glancing over at Draco, Harry couldn't help the light snort that escaped him. Turning to the Mage, Draco glared.  
  
"What?"  
  
Harry moved closer to the blonde and took his hands in his.  
  
"You're not doing it right. You'll never get anything if you continue to just run your finger tips over the surface. Close your eyes."  
  
Harry felt Draco body tempter rise as he moved behind the boy and pressed closely to him. He had to admit that Draco's body felt good pressed close to him like this. Draco was slightly taller than he was so pressing himself forward, ignoring the gasp from the blond, he settled his chin to the boy's shoulder.  
  
Draco stiffened as he felt to the other boy press closer to him. His body felt like it was on fire and at the same time, she felt like he was a block of ice. He was confused at the feelings this boys touch was producing. The smooth way he held his hands reminded Draco of the way one would hold delicate china, or a hand blown glass. Soft and Gentle.  
  
Then again, with the Mage pressed up against him as he was, it also reminded Draco of how very male he was and how much training it took to become what he had. The arms around him screamed strength and the muscles behind his spoke of weights and martial arts.  
  
Draco was to frozen to do anything but close his eyes has the rough yet smooth hands straightened out his fingers and placed his entire palm on the glass. Relaxing, Draco decided to enjoy the Mages contact while he could, god knew he would probably never feel his friend in this close proximity ever again.  
  
Harry smiled as he felt the boy in his arms relax and smiled as he whispered directly into the boys ear.  
  
"Don't move your hands, don't force something to come. Divinations is about patience and clarity. You aren't trying to see the future, nor are you demanding the answer to a question you want solved. You're just trying to receive and interpret the information the powers give you to the best you can. The more refined your skills are, the better you will receive what they want you to."  
  
Both boys sat in silence for a moment before they both gasped and jerked away from the crystal at the same time. Draco's eyes were wide as he turned and stared at the silver haired boy behind him.  
  
"How-.Midnight? What was that?"  
  
Harry sat gasping for air, one hand clutching his heart the other clutching his head. Why had the vision been chopped? It hadn't been like that in seven months.In his vision, he had seen Jade in danger. He had seen his mouth moving but couldn't hear him. Even though he knew he were calling for him. Then everything tilted and swirled violently and he had heard Aqua's voice calling to him, but couldn't keep her in one place long enough to tell her he was all right. Other flashes of fire and light, Feelings of burning and freezing, snatches of words and a pair of scared eyes.  
  
At the sound of Draco's voice, Harry looked up into a pair of scared slate eyes and realization hit him.  
  
"Draco you.intercepted my.Come with me.we have to leave!"  
  
Draco was about to protest until he saw the wild fear in his friend's eyes and nodded. Scooping up both shears, Draco slung his bag over his shoulder and watched as Midnight did the same. With out a word, both headed for the door but were stopped by a scowling Trelawny.  
  
"What do you think you're doing? I want both of you to sit down right now. You have no right to behave as you did and then just walk out of this classroom with out a word."  
  
Harry glared and had to bite his inner cheek to stop from cursing the woman. Taking a deep breath, he slowly told Trelawny just what she could do with her class.  
  
"Look, You and I both know that this class is utter Bullshit. You aren't teaching them anything. I bet not one of them has made an actually prediction. Hell! You haven't made an actual prediction is over four years and even then you didn't remember it! The only reason half these students take this class is because it's a good class to get sleep in after pulling an all-nighter studying for N.E.W.T. exams!"  
  
Trelawny was so stunned at the truthful words that she backed up a pass and a half and let the frazzled and confused boys run past her and down the stairs.  
  
Draco did have time to ask where they were going as the silver haired boy in front of his took off running and didn't look back or stop for stairs or anything else as he flew past portraits and suits of Armor. Draco vaguely registered that they were going to the D.A.D.A room as the doors in front of them burst open and Midnight ran into the room full of third year Ravenclaws and Gryffindors.  
  
Harry tossed himself at his Magenta haired lover without slowing down and buried his face in the crook of his neck. Aqua paused in the middle of her lecture and quickly took in both Harry and Draco's auras. After noting that Harry's was full of confusion and desperation, the tall woman dismissed the class and waited for them to leave before telling Draco to come in and lock the door as he did.  
  
"Midnight? Whats wrong what happened?"  
  
Draco walked forward and sat on the closest desk to the sprawled Mages that he could. Knowing that the Mage most likely wouldn't let his death grip on the other Mage's jacket go, he decided to answer for him.  
  
"We were in Divinations class and Trelawny had us looking into Crystal balls. Harry had laughed at the technique she had taught us and was helping me do it right when this pain ripped though random people places names faces and words flashed before me. It was bad and then, it was over. Something told me that I wasn't supposed to see or hear anything that I did and my suspicion was confirmed when he got us out of class and flew down here as fast as he could."  
  
Quick Silver, who was rubbing her roommate's back along with Jade nodded and spoke up.  
  
"Make since. Visions are very odd things. For some people, all they see is their sister's marriage two years in the future. For others, they see death and tragedy and that's all they ever see. Midnight is one of the unlucky one that's sees the bad things and has enough warning to prevent them. Then again, the visions also give him the knowledge of why the advents take place and what need to be done to make them a reality, but most of the time he can't remember them until its to late. That's why he's like this."  
  
Draco nodded and sighed, wishing that he were the one holding the silver haired mage. As he watched Jade and Quick Sliver calm the shaken boy down. Jade had maneuvered Midnight so that he was sitting in his lap, leaning heavily on him. Quick Silver was dragging he hands though his long hair and both where whispering words that Draco couldn't hear.  
  
Aqua looked at the blonde closely. She could tell this boy was confused and worried, it was all over him. But on the other hand, It seemed something had been clarified within him and he was looking at his friend with new eyes. Hearing the sigh, Aqua repressed a smile and mentally shook her head.  
  
'My my Harry, you seem to attract everyone to you.I wonder how Jade will react when he finds out Harry will be taking on another one.'  
  
Harry took a deep breath and sat up alittle, wiping his eyes and looking around at his friends. Blushing, Harry looked over at his trainer.  
  
"It was terrible."  
  
The tall woman laughed at the young Mages statement.  
  
"Well, knowing you, I'm not surprised. I think you should tell us whats going on and what you can remember seeing."  
  
Harry nodded and set about telling them about seeing Jade and knowing that he was calling him, but not hearing him. He told them about the random words and the blurred colors. He told them about hearing Aqua asking if he was ok, and he told about the close to silver eyes he saw just before it ended. Everyone was silent.  
  
"I think Draco might have see some of the same things I did, because we has just as shocked as I was. It hurt Aqua.one of my visions hasn't hurt that much since the time Quick Silver and I got sent on the phony mission to that deserted camp."  
  
Aquamarine nodded remembering that mission clearly. Turning to Draco she rose an eyebrow at the boy.  
  
"And what did you see?"  
  
Draco blinked at the woman for a moment and blushed. He remembered what he had seen clearly and he remembered what was said as if it were said directly in his ears.  
  
"I remember seeing Midnight running through the forbidden forest, he had someone held in his arms, but I couldn't see who. I also saw people in a room full of purple furniture, they were talking about Mages being at Hogwarts and what to do about it.One of them was holding a letter. I remember seeing green eyes and hearing words said to me, but I can't remember what they were."  
  
Quick Silver blinked and then let out a roaring laugh that seemed to echo off the walls. Midnight turned confused eyes on her.  
  
"What?"  
  
Pulling herself together, she explained.  
  
"Draco didn't intercept your vision, nor did you intercept his. It seems that the powers were trying to send you both had vision at the same time and since you were using the same channeler, they got confused on who skill levels were who's. So Midnight received his message like Draco would've had the powers not been confused."  
  
Harry sighed and let out a small laugh.  
  
"Sometime I hate having the sight. Its such a pain"  
  
Draco let out a small snort at the lame pun and sighed. Looking around the room at the War Mages.  
  
"So what now? I've never had a vision before and his level is amazing. Even if I had another vision with the same settings and people, there is no guarantee that I'll be as helpful again."  
  
Draco watched as the War Mages looked at each other and seemed to have a conversation with their eyes. It was Midnight who finally looked at him and spoke.  
  
"Most people don't have the 'gift' of sight and if they do, they are unfortunate enough to get stuck with someone like Trelawny who don't know what they are doing. They again, even if people do have the gift, most people can't see anything beyond a specific person or object. The powers gave you a very painful, but advanced vision. They are telling you and us that you can have an extraordinary gift with the right training."  
  
Aqua nodded and smiled at her pupil's idea. Getting up from her position on the floor, she walked over to her desk and retrieved a small yellow disk as Harry continued.  
  
"If I'm right, I'd say that was your first vision, and if so, that would've been a pretty detailed first vision for anyone."  
  
Draco nodded and was still confused as to what Midnight was getting at, he didn't understand, but he had a feeling he would soon. The sound of Aqua's voice drew his attention over to a beam of golden light that was emanating from the yellow disk.  
  
".And we have a mid. Level seer here.yes. I think sending a teacher would be best.no sending him to you wouldn't be the best right now.no, they would have an Idea were he went and then that wouldn't be good."  
  
The conversation went on like that for a bit longer before the beam disappeared and Aqua turned around and gave him a smile.  
  
"Congratulations Mister Malfoy. You have just been accepted at Mage-in- training. Your teacher will be arriving soon."  
  
Midnight laughed as he saw understanding dawn on the blonde's face. Pale gray eyes light up and his mouth opened slightly to form and 'o' shape. He looked like a landed fish for a moment before finally stuttering out,  
  
"Me? A Mage?"  
  
Harry nodded and laughed along with Jade who found the look on the new Mage- in-Training's face to be quite amusing. Quick Silver tilted her head and blinked.  
  
"But Aqua.what about a roommate for him? Tradition states that he has to have another training mage to be roomed with."  
  
Aqua nodded at the pale girl's question.  
  
"They council will most likely send another M.I.T to be roomed with him. Tradition must be up kept."  
  
The other Mages nodded at the statement. Stretching, Harry climbed off of a very grateful Jade and offered the quietly complaining man a hand up. Jade accepted the hand and hugged the dark War Mage to his chest.  
  
"Until he gets a roommate, he can sleep in the room right next to Midnight and Quick Silver."  
  
Draco blinked. What were they talking about.he was going to stay in the Slytherin dorms wasn't he?  
  
"What are you talking about? Why can't I stay in Slytherin? Surely it wouldn't draw to much attention.and I'd still be with my friends.isn't that the way it should be?"  
  
Midnight detached himself from Jade's strong arms and walked over to his friend. Placing his hand on Draco shoulder, he smiled down at the boy.  
  
"Mages are know for their.different ways of teaching. Fire Mages have the heat in their rooms' turn up so high, the next step would be to walk into a furnace and let the flames dance over your body. The exact opposite can be said about Ice Mages. War Mages are always by their teacher's side. Doing what their told when they are told to do it and not asking to many questions. But no matter what Mage you are training to be, there is a tradition that states that a Mage must have a companion to go through the tough times with. War Mages are usually placed with other War Mages. We have terribly hard training to go through and when you have someone to talk it out with, it doesn't seem so hard. Other mages such as a Weather Mage and a Spirit Mage can share a room. Most Weather Mages are told to use their emotions to create the weather they want. So a Spirit Mage can mess with their emotions and heighten then just enough to have the effect the Mage wants, and its good training for the Spirit Mage."  
  
Draco nodded his understanding. He off-handedly wondered what his roommate would be and how he would tell his friends. He had never thought that he could ever be considered for Mage-ship. He knew that only the best of the best ever got asked to be a mage. He knew that even Dumbledore wasn't a mage and he was one of the greatest wizards in the world. Looking up at the Mage beside him he gave a small smile before asking a question that had been nagging at him.  
  
"Well, what about secrecy? If I'm taught here would people know who I was and that defeat the propose of having a mage identity?"  
  
Aqua smiled at the boy in front of her.  
  
"As we said, Each classification of Mage has a different way of teaching. Seers are the loosest you can get. Nobody will know you are a mage and you won't tell anyone. All anyone will think is that you have become more interesting in divinations ands as for the room change, you will have a new girlfriend and staying nights with her."  
  
Draco wrinkled up his nose and made a nose close to 'ick', but Harry couldn't be sure.  
  
"I hate to tell you, but no one will believe that. I came out in my sixth year. There is no thought in anyone's mind that I'm not gay."  
  
It took Harry a second to figure out if the blond was serious or not. In all the time he'd know Draco, he'd never thought the blond boy was anything but straight. In his second year, Harry had heard rumors that Draco and Pansy were engaged to be married a year after graduation. In his first year, he had seen Draco and a pureblood Ravenclaw kissing after Valentines Day.  
  
"Well then, we'll just say that Midnight is you boyfriend for the time being."  
  
Draco sputtered as his eyes grew wide and a blush rose on his cheeks. Harry on the other hand blushed and went about questioning his teacher.  
  
"Aqua! Did you think that he might not want to say he's my boyfriend? And did you take into consideration what Pansy may say?"  
  
Draco laughed and shook his head at both of the War Mages questions.  
  
"I don't know how you know about Pansy, but that is just for show, For my father's sanity if nothing else. Father knows that I don't like girls, I'm just like him in that way. But I can like men as long as I marry Pansy. Pansy knows this and really doesn't care. She has someone that loves her and when we get out of school she is going to marry him."  
  
Harry nodded at this. He hoped that everything worked out for her. She really deserved it. Pulling Draco off to the side, Harry looked into his eyes.  
  
"Draco, I know this is going to be weird, but you don't mind do you? Us pretending to go out? It will help people not be so suspicious."  
  
Draco nodded and smiled at the Mage. He knew that this was going to be odd for alittle while, but he didn't care. The only thing he really cared about was his friend was going to be closer to him more often.. He was going to be able to touch the Mage with out a reason.  
  
Draco's smile grew a bit more as his thoughts went on.  
  
Aqua's smile widened as she saw the two friends walk back over to them. She knew this was going to work out for the best.  
  
"Now, I have things to do. Jade, Midnight, I expect you to show Mister Malfoy down to your respective rooms. Quick Silver, if you would come with me please?"  
  
Hellaine was about to protest when Aqua caught her eye and gave her a meaningful look. Nodding her head, Hellaine gave her roommate a hug and smiled at the blond that would soon be a great part of her life. Bidding farewell to the three, she bound off after the blue dress that had just disappeared.  
  
All three men looked at each other for a moment before Jade gave a wide smile to Draco and held out his hand.  
  
"The call me Jade. It's nice to meet you Draco. Now. Shall we go down to the dungeons and show you your new rooms?"  
  
Hallways and corridors later, they arrived at the shifting staircases. Harry looked up and saw the staircases shifting and elongating and thought of how his life was like the stairs. Always moving, but never knowing where they were going. Sighing, they pressed forward in comfortable silence.  
  
Lots of stairs and more hallways later they reached Midnight's room. Turning, the silver haired boy smiled at his companions.  
  
"This is Cindy. She's very nice and sweet and likes to play a lot, so on occasions she won't let you in with out playing with her, so be warned."  
  
Draco nodded as he remembered the adorable little seven year old girl with mouse brown pigtails and a sunny smile. Said girl smiled when she saw them and waved.  
  
"Hi! Have you come to play with me?"  
  
Jade waved back to the girl and gave her a soft smile.  
  
"Cindy, we want you to meet someone," The little girls eyes lit up with the prospect of meeting someone new. " Draco, meet Cindy. Cindy, this is a new friend of ours, Draco Malfoy."  
  
The little girl giggle when she looked at Draco and a light pink rose in her cheeks.  
  
"I know him, he used to come and play with me when I was still hung on the eighth floor. I remember when he was upset because his father wouldn't let him ask Harry Potter to date him.in fourth year."  
  
At the girl's words, Both Draco and Harry's eyes grew two sizes bigger.  
  
"Cindy!"  
  
The little girl giggled again and the painting vanished. Leaving three stunned men behind. Harry was the first to regain his voice.  
  
"You really wanted to ask Harry Potter out?"  
  
Draco nodded sadly.  
  
"Yeah, I had liked him since the day I first met him in Madam Milkens, the robe maker's shop. I didn't even know who he was, but he was pretty and was talking to me with out blushing or even looking at me really. I could tell that he wasn't raised in the wizarding world and I wanted to be the person to introduce him to it. But I insulted his friend without knowing it and was a general snob about everything in my haste to be his friend. I left. Confident that he I'd see him on the train and that we'd sit together and talk some more, but that didn't happen.  
  
I couldn't find him when I arrived and ended up sitting in a compartment with Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy, not that I minded, but I really wanted to talk to the pretty boy I'd met in the shop. I then heard Fred and Gorge Weasly talking about meeting Harry Potter and that he was in the last room before the cargo box. I quickly got up and went to where they had said he was sitting thinking that maybe my boy was there, but when I got there I realized that Harry was the boy I'd met and again I slipped into my snob personality again without thinking about it. I insulted another one of his friend and offered him my hand in friendship, but he glared at me and refused to have anything to do with me.  
  
I was crushed. I didn't know why he didn't want to be my friend, but then I decided that if I couldn't be close to him by being his friend, I'd be close to him by being his enemy. My father always told me that if you couldn't have a close friend in your time of need, that a close enemy who know more about you than the best of your friends would work instead.  
  
So, I went about being a general ass. I put him and his friends down every chance I got, I challenged him and played mean jokes on him all year. I went and got their head of house once when they were making sure a baby dragon got to Romania safely, but I made sure to get her after I had seen the Dragon trainers fly off so that the dragon wouldn't get caught. In second year, I remember joining the Quiditch team as a seeker, even though I knew I was much better as a chaser. My father insisted on buying the team new brooms, even though I told him that it would make it look like I had bought my way onto the team in stead of earning the right. I was always trying to be there for Harry. In one of our Quiditch matches, a Bludger went rouge. I chased after Harry and tried to draw the Bludger away from my secret friend, but it didn't work, I was knocked out half way though and was left to watch as Harry got his Arm broken and caught the snitch, I was very proud.  
  
In third year, I wasn't much help. I remember t the end seeing Harry and his friends chasing after Sirius Black.All I could do was tell Professor Snape about it and pray that Harry would be alright. In fourth year was when I realized my feelings for him were more than just friendship. That's when I started to realize that maybe I wasn't as straight as I wanted to be. I owled father after the second task and told him what was going on. He told me that I wasn't allowed to ask Harry to the Yule Ball, but I was allowed to love him from afar. The dark lord was strong at Hogwarts and if he found out that I was associated in more with Harry than I was, that I'd be in danger. So I asked Pansy to go with me even though I was dying to ask Harry.  
  
At the beginning of fifth year everything changed. Dumbledore announced that Harry was gone and wouldn't be returning for quite some time. I was confused, angry, and most of all hurt. After awhile, I decided that if he was gone that I'd have to get over him, but I never did. I'll wait for him to return until the end of time if I have to. I am determined to apologize for being so cruel to him."  
  
By this time, they had gone from Midnight's room to Jade's and back to Midnight's for tea. Both Mages were completely entranced about the events from Draco's eyes, Midnight in particular.  
  
Harry found it interesting to find out that his enemy, the person who had teased and tormented him for years, was.for lack of any better words, in love with him. He remembered a look that they had shared once at the Yule ball and then again at the end of fourth year. It was a look filled with passion and a silent promise never to leave the other alone.  
  
Harry blinked as he remember everything that Draco had done over the years and then twisted them so that he was in Draco's position, It was then that he realized that he loved the arrogant blond as well. He loved his as he would any of his other lovers and in some cases.even more.  
  
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Hey everyone! Sorry I'm so late in getting this out. I got a bad case of writer's block. ^^ I hope you liked this chapter and didn't think it was to cliché. I want to thank all my reviewers who didn't let me give up and helped me though some of my problems.  
  
I'll have the next chapter out sooner than this and look for more of my stuff coming soon. If you want to be on Author Alert tell me in your reviews. Remember, the more you talk to me the more I'll Update!  
  
I love you all and look forward to your comments!  
  
Your very tired Author,  
Kat  
  
P.S. If you have any suggestions or Ideas, I'm willing to take them into consideration 


	5. A War Mages Path chapter 5

Chapter 5:  
  
After Draco's long winded confession, Midnight didn't know what to say. After the years of names and rivalry, Midnight wasn't sure if he would be able to forgive everything at the drop of a hat. Sure he was nice to Draco and all of the Slytherins, but truth be told, he was still alittle wary of them.  
  
Looking back on what the blonde had said, Harry had to admit that from the others perspective, everything made since. But to Harry, it was just confusing.  
  
"Well, um.anyways.I have a feeling that your things will be moved in here as soon as possible.Aqua is quick about things like that. Now, I say we all head for the Slytherin common room and meet your friends when they get there. You can both do your homework, and then you and Midnight can begin your act."  
  
Harry agreed on this and looked between the two. Both men had stood and offered Harry their hands at the same time, causing them to still and glare at one another menacingly, neither willing to back down.  
  
'Oh, I knew this wasn't a good idea when Aqua suggested it.' Harry thought as he stood up and smiled at them both.  
  
"Now, now.be good. Let me just collect my homework."  
  
Harry skillfully steeped around both men and sighed as he walked over to his bed and grabbed is bag. Both me were still glaring at one another and hadn't even noticed Harry's disappearance.  
  
'Sad.it really is. One would think Jade would be used to this by now.and it isn't as if I'm really going to start dating Draco Malfoy. He is an assignment.just like any other. My job is to make sure he doesn't slip any classified information out and that he stays on task until his mentor and room mate gets here. Period, that's it.what does Jade think will happen?'  
  
Walking back over to the preoccupied men, Harry decided that it would be in everyone's best interest and safety, especially Draco's, if both of his hands were full, so that Jade, nor Draco felt left out at all.  
  
"Ready to go? I have both Transfiguration and Hieroglyphs due tomorrow, a Potions essay due next week and three tarot reading in depth analyses due by Wednesday.I have a lot to do!"  
  
Jade was the first to break the staring match with the younger blonde. His rich voice rang though out the room as he crossed over to his younger half and stood closely by his side.  
  
"Everyone ready?" He asked, while casting Draco a side look and repressing the feelings that bubbled up inside of him. At Harry's nod, all three of them set off.  
  
Two weeks had gone by and by this time Draco and Midnight's mock relationship was in full swing. As far as the Slytherin house was concerned, Draco and Midnight were a sweet couple. The two would get up early enough to have some time with one another before classes started and after dinner, the two would do their homework in the common room before heading off to Midnight's room.  
  
It was a particular Wednesday morning that found The War Mages and Draco out in a cleared out area of the Forbidden Forest. Harry was lifting weights that Aqua had transfigured a tree into, while Jade spotted him. Quick Silver was trading blows with Bloodlust as they went though and evaluated one another's skills. And Aqua was watching Draco struggle to hold four buckets of water with six stones in them.  
  
"Listen! What is the point of this? If I am going to be trained as a seer, why am I holding water? What does it have to do with interpreting visions?"  
  
Draco dropped the buckets to the ground and put his hands on his hips, in a clear stance of defiance.  
  
"Draco, you must learn to balance mind and body.one can not have a powerful vision and hope to survive it if they do not have the physical strength to match it. Now.,"  
  
Aqua calmly levitated the buckets back to his hands' height.  
  
"Take the buckets Draco.lets start again."  
  
Nodding, Draco took the light objects, but as he did, Aqua released the spell and the water and stones regained their weight, making Draco practically fall over with the suddenness of it.  
  
"You should be able to hold them up, even with their weight added, and more."  
  
Draco grunted and forced himself to stand back up, glancing over to see what the others were doing.  
  
Midnight and Jade were now standing inside of a red ring blindfolded. It was hard to tell what they were doing, but when Quick Silver tossed a rock into the circle, both War Mages turned and seemed to identify the object. Deeming it safe and non-threatening for the moment.  
  
"War Mage Aqua, What are they doing?"  
  
Aqua glanced over at the ring and smiled.  
  
"It an old nature trick that we adopted for training. Its said that if you take one sense from a person, the others become stronger. In nature, everything is circular. The trees grow in a circle, they have rings on the inside, The birds build a circular nest. .The ring symbolizes everything in nature. The color means danger. Red is a very exuberant color, always calling for immediate action. The blindfolds represent natures inability to see the dangers set before it. Everything they do, they do as if they were truly nature. They stand as a tree would, Tall straight and proud. They think and react as a animal would, quickly and without delay."  
  
Draco nodded, he didn't understand what that had to do with anything, but he had asked the question, so he had to listen to the answer.  
  
". All in all, they are just training, as you should be doing. Now come.concentrate."  
  
Draco sighed as he closed his eyes and held the buckets, it was hard and boring work, but all in all, he couldn't say that he'd have it any other way.  
  
Two hours later, Aqua called an end to the morning training and called Midnight and Quick Silver over to her.  
  
"I need you two to collect Draco's things and take them to the room two halls over from yours. His trainers will be here by the end of breakfast and I hope things will go well."  
  
Harry and Hellaine both nodded and smiled at their trainer. Aqua looked tired and, even if no one else could tell but them, she had a look that clearly said she was glad to be getting the difficult blonde off her hands.  
  
"Don't have a conniption Aqua, it's the last day."  
  
The regal woman smiled and motioned for them to go and get ready for breakfast. It was going to be a long day.she could feel it in her old bones.  
  
At Breakfast, Midnight and Draco sat next to one another and softly discussed their Divinations homework. Midnight was pointing to a certain card in their tarot reading and explaining it, while Draco was writing it down.  
  
"The two of Cups.That's a love suit.I think its new love.let me check."  
  
Pansy couldn't help it anymore and leaned in close to Draco.  
  
"You two are so cute, whats your secret? I want my Yann to be like this with me."  
  
Midnight looked up and flashed the girl a brilliant smile before he took Draco's hand and kissed the palm.  
  
"No secret Pansy my dear, just tell him what you really feel.and if he is perfect for you.you'll know."  
  
Pansy opened her mouth to give the Mage a sarcastic reply, but before she could, the doors to the Great Hall burst open and three out of place people strode in.  
  
The first was a short quite looking girl with Pink hair and wide honey eyes. She was dressed in a soft pink sleeveless dress that reached two inches above her knees, The whole dress was pink but one strap that was a rich honey brown. Her leggins were the same color as the strap and they shimmered in the light as she walked. Her feet were clad in soft pink calve boots that were laced up with honey gold lace.  
  
Next to her stood a boy of medium height with ear length blond hair and pale blue eyes. He was obviously the trainee because he was dressed in white cotton pants and a white shirt and white sneakers with white laces that covered white ankle socks. Harry could tell the boy was most likely as fresh as Draco was.  
  
And next to the trainee stood a boy that was so soft and fragile looking, you'd swear he was a she. He wasn't much taller than the female of the group, he was lean and had a slim build. It was easy to tell the boy wasn't used to heavy fieldwork.  
  
His soft orange hair was feathered around his face and came down to rest lightly on his shoulders, His pale skin made his serene lavender eyes look larger than they actually were, but it made for a cute picture. The soft mage wore a modest orange tunic that went clean to his knees. It was trimmed in white and was tied off with a white belt. Under the tunic he wore a white shirt and white leggins, and on his feet he wore a pair of orange slippers that didn't make a noise as he moved.  
  
Harry sat up alittle straighter at the sight of the three Mages, especially the one in the tunic. The two mages and mage-in-training, moved quickly to the front of the hall and Spoke with Aqua. The black woman nodded and motioned for the others, including Harry, to join her as she moved into the back room.  
  
"I'll be back Draco, this shouldn't take long."  
  
Harry kissed Draco's cheek quickly and moved to follow his fellow Mages into the room behind the game keeper's seat.  
  
Jade waited for the younger mage and shut the door and set strong spells and wards as soon as Midnight had entered the room.  
  
"Good morning young War Mage, I hope you are well."  
  
Harry looked to the pink haired woman and nodded, crossing the room to stand by his roommate and friend.  
  
"I am well traveler, I hope the cycles have been well to you."  
  
The woman chuckled softly and nodded as well. Harry could see that she was amused.  
  
"Very well, very well.Aqua, you have trained a very well behaved Mage. I am quite impressed. I am called Seer Mage Brushfire, This is Sonar, teacher of the trainee to our left, and this is his trainee."  
  
The boy in white looked up and nodded to the room, before turning shyly back to the fire that was blazing merrily in the hearth.  
  
Aqua nodded back to the boy and began introducing her mages.  
  
"To my right is War Mage Bloodlust, to his left is the War Mages Midnight and Quick Silver, and the one standing at the door is the War Mage Jade. We are pleased to receive you on this day."  
  
Brushfire nodded and thanked them.  
  
"It is good to be received and we give you thanks."  
  
Harry looked around at everyone's stiff presence and itched to move to his sprit mage. Sighing he decided to add his own two cents into the formal conversation.  
  
"Well.now that we have all of the shit out of the way, can we please sit down?"  
  
Laughter sparked up around the room lightly as the Mages and one very out of place Dumbledore moved around the room to sit.  
  
Sonar quickly crossed to sit on Midnight's right and smiled as Jade took up the silver haired boy's other side. Harry was pleased and slipped his arm around the other mages waist, holding the fragile looking boy loosely. Jade put his arm around Midnight's shoulders and rubbed his arm, happy to be with him in public.ish.  
  
Quick Silver took the seat next to the Trainee and if you didn't know any better you'd swear they were both in training instead of just one person. But Hellaine's White tank top and Pale gray cargo pants with white combat boots and gray laces, gave her away as a Mage and nothing else.  
  
"Would someone like to inform me as to the.situation going on at the moment?"  
  
Aqua looked to the Headmaster and began to explain.  
  
"One of your students posses a great deal of potential that isn't being used to its fullest. We have seen fit to bring a instructor in. Your student Draco Malfoy was the potential to become a very useful seer, and with the right training, he will become a powerful ally."  
  
The Headmaster nodded and sank into his chair.  
  
"Have you already began to set things in motion with him with out my knowledge?"  
  
When he got eight affirmative nods, the elderly man sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. After several moments of silence, the man spoke.  
  
"Why wasn't I informed of this? Why wouldn't you clear it with me before you set about doing this?"  
  
It was Bloodlust that answered him, much to Midnight's surprise.  
  
"For the reason you have not been told where Harry Potter is, and for the same reason we are here. You, even if everyone thinks you can, cannot be trusted. You will do what you see fit to do. When the wizarding world went into a panic because the boy-who-lived had vanished, you told them to clam down because you knew exactly where he was. If you'd have had anymore information than we had given you, you would've most likely told everyone just to calm them down. If we'd have told you that Seer Mage Brushfire was coming, you would've announced it to the school and given the students ample time to write their parents. You are left in the dark for good reasons, and you have no right to question what we do."  
  
Harry was half tempted to clap. Robyn rarely ever spoke, and when he did you felt either frightened or privileged, in this instance, Harry was willing to bet Dumbledore felt frightened or at least intimidated.  
  
"Ah well..I.I see your reasoning. Please forgive my rudeness."  
  
Aqua spoke with the pink haired woman in quite tones by the fire, Hellaine and the boy were getting along well enough. The pale girl was regaling him with stories of her many years of training, and Harry had to admit, she had some interesting stories.  
  
"Its nice to see you again.I was getting lonely."  
  
Harry smiled down at his soul connection.  
  
"I agree, I've missed you for sometime. Playing tricks on Quick Silver just isn't the same with out you. Jade is great, don't get me wrong," Harry leaned back slightly, letting Jade know that he loved him in a silent way. "But, lets get real, Silver is not more afraid of him that I am. On a regular basses at least."  
  
Jade's low chuckle rumbled though his chest and though Harry slightly.  
  
"Yes well, I helped you get into trouble more than I trained you."  
  
Harry laughed. He had to admit, even though Jade was there for his training, He did get the two into trouble more than anything else.  
  
~*Flashback*~  
  
Harry and his roommate. whatever her name was, were laying on their beds after a hard day of jumping-jacks and running around the underground cave system until their legs felt like they would burst.  
  
"Hey."  
  
Harry groaned at the sound of Jade's voice. The man was just insult to injury some times..  
  
"What do you want War Mage Jade? If you tell us War Mage Aqua needs us.I'll cut out your heart with a spoon!"  
  
Jade's laughter floated though the room, joined quickly by the tanned girl on the other side.  
  
"And how would you do that young one?"  
  
Jade crossed over to Harry, who was laying across his bed, not even looking at the Mage. Jade tossed his Magenta hair over his shoulder and looked down at the exhausted boy.  
  
"In your sleep.."  
  
Came the grumbled response. Harry cracked one of his eyes open and peered up at the golden eyed man.  
  
"Why a Spoon?  
  
Harry turned enough to see his roommate sprawled out on her own bed, looking for all the world like someone had come along and cut all the strings holding her up.  
  
"Because its dull and it'll hurt more."  
  
Jade laughed again and grabbed Harry's hands, pulling him up into a sitting position.Harry groaned and begged for him to stop.  
  
"Nooooo..I don't want to get up.I want to lay here and die!"  
  
Jade laughed. "Die later, right now, you have to come and eat with me."  
  
Harry grumbled and sat up, His white outfit clinging to him in a damp icky way.  
  
"Can I at least change first?"  
  
Jade looked at him. To Jade he looked fine, but then again, in Jade's eyes, Harry always looked good. Laughing, Jade made a gesture and gave him a wink.  
  
"By all means, please don't let me stop you. What will you wear? The white outfit with the white shoes or the white outfit with the white shoes? I like them both personally."  
  
Harry made a noise that sounded like a mumbled 'screw you' but he couldn't be sure. Looking over at the dark skinned girl, Jade shook his head.  
  
"What does Aqua have you doing? You two look like you faced a dragon."  
  
"A Saharan desert dragon to be exact," Harry said as he tossed a dirt smeared shirt out of the bathroom door and walked out a moment later, pulling on a pristine white T-shirt. "I decided to question her on the subject alittle to much with out letting her talk and she got the brilliant idea to send me and my partner up against one.it was not fun."  
  
Jade laughed and shook his head.  
  
"Why did you get the bright idea to question her in the first place?"  
  
Harry shrugged and stood by the door.  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"I told you.to eat." Jade quickly grabbed Harry's petite wrist and ran though the hallways until they reached the double doors of the kitchens.  
  
"This is a special dinner. I ask you a question, and if you answer me truthfully, you get to go in, answer another and you can take another step.the game will keep going on like this until I think of something else to do."  
  
Harry rose his eyebrow and gave the older Mage a confused look.  
  
"Ok.go ahead."  
  
Jade grinned and the game began. Jade asked questions about Harry's schooling and his favorite teachers and such and in turn, Harry answered everything and two hours later they had gone though dinner and a bottle of Ice and Fire Whiskey. By this point, both men were slightly more than drunk and the game and devolved into a twisted version on Truth or Dare.  
  
"Ok.ok..what is your real hair color?"  
  
Jade desolved into peals of laughter and took a drink of the rapidly depleting liquid.  
  
"Mmmm, I'm not answering that, a Mage never tells!"  
  
Harry giggled at the flamboyant way the Mage had answered and cleared his throat and took the bottle back.  
  
"Then you have to go into Aqua's Room and kiss her soundly on the lips. "  
  
Jade's eyes widened to the point they look like they would pop out of his head.  
  
"You want me to do what? Are you insane?"  
  
He took the liquor from the boy and drank the last of it. Harry on the other hand smiled and nodded.  
  
"Yes, in fact, I am. Now, Shall I escort you?"  
  
Jade looked like he was going to protest, and got up to do so, but as he did the room took a giant swirl and he fell down just as quickly, laughing quite hard in the process.  
  
"Come on." Harry was able to stand, but just barely, and shakily pulled his friend up to his feet.  
  
"What if I want to kiss you instead."  
  
Jade pulled Harry's willing body closer and kissed him. It was abit sloppy in the beginning, but got better as Harry figured out what was going on though his alcohol hazed mind. Pulling back after a moment, Harry grinned and kissed the tip of Jades nose.  
  
"You can kiss me all you like." Jade smiled and leaned back into him, only to have Harry laugh and pull back. "After, you kiss Aqua."  
  
Jade sighed and grumbled something as he held onto Harry's waist and half stumbled, half power walked though the halls. Harry's semi verbal promise to let him ravish him silly after he kissed the woman that had trained him.  
  
Reaching the plain wooden door, Jade knocked lightly and 'shushed' Harry's giggles at the slight snore that came from behind the wooden slab.  
  
Opening the door softly, Jade tip-toed his way through the emasculate room and over to the bed where the black woman slept peacefully. Leaning over, Jade cringed slightly before he closed his eyes and closed the distance between his lips and hers.  
  
There was a slight pause before Aqua's in raged voice filled the entire compound.  
  
"Jade!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
The magenta haired man's eyes grew wide and stood rooted in his spot and blinked frightenedly, even Harry didn't move, and he hadn't been spotted yet.  
  
"Mr. Potter, Jade.pain." Was all Aqua could say before she tossed them out of her room with a wave of her hand.  
  
~* End Flashback *~  
  
"Midnight..Midnight."  
  
Blinking, Harry turned his attention back to the mages around him and noticed everyone was getting up to leave.  
  
"I'm sorry, I must have zoned out.Have we decided where you three will be staying?"  
  
Quick Silver chuckled and bounced around her roommate. "Yup, The mage-in- training will be matched with your Draco. Brushfire and Sonar are matched and Aqua still has no roommate."  
  
Sighing, Midnight mumbled something along the lines of 'lucky' and was promptly smacked up-side his head, Harry stuck his tongue out at his attacker.  
  
"Keep it is your mouth unless you intend to use it dear." At Harry's smirk, Quick Silver added to her statement. "And leave me out of it. You have two to keep and one to play with at the moment, go to them."  
  
Jade chuckled and pulled his silver haired lover closer to him and watching Quick Silver focus her attention on the trainee again.  
  
"Wow.I think she might have found her first mate." He said as he followed the others out the door.  
  
"We have been informed of the.arrangement going on between you and our new trainee. I'll see you on the morrow."  
  
Kissing the silver haired mage quickly, Sonar smiled and walked out of the room as well, followed closely by Midnight who unlike the other mages, who went to the head table, went back to the Slytherin table and sat next to his blonde trainee.  
  
"Is everything alright?" Draco asked as he messed with a blueberry shortcake.  
  
Harry nodded and dipped his finger into the whipped cream.  
  
"Oh yes, everything is fine, new mages, nothing to big."  
  
Draco tried his hardest to ignore Midnight's innocent, yet devilish gesture. Coughing slightly, Draco wrapped his arm around Harry's waist and smiled at his friends.  
  
"If you'd excuse us, we have some...things to attend to."  
  
It took them a few minutes to get to Midnight's room. They kept meeting people on the way who wanted to ask them how they made their relationship work and the such. By the time they reached the hidden sanctuary, they both were so aggravated that the next person that asked them anything was going to get cursed.  
  
"I swear, Its like they've never seen a happy couple.I'm half tempted to show the next person that asks how to make a real relationship work instead of just telling them."  
  
Midnight said as he threw himself onto his soft bed with a sigh of relief.  
  
"And how do you make a real relationship work?"  
  
His blonde partner asked as he lay down next to him, just as tired and even more worn out from the mornings training.  
  
"You grab the other person and kiss them until they are weak in the knees. It works everytime."  
  
Draco laughed and shook his head.  
  
"That isn't how you make a real relationship work. It takes time and commitment. You have to be completely devoted to that person in every way..but it could start with an amazing kiss."  
  
Midnight laughed at that and sat up, popping his back as he did.  
  
"Come on, we have to get your stuff together. Your roommate is here."  
  
Draco sat up and frowned.  
  
"Where does that leave us? As soon as I go to my new room do we 'break up'?"  
  
Harry paused for a moment, he hadn't thought of that. What would happen to them? He liked Draco, he knew that, and with the blonde becoming a mage, he could have him if he wanted.  
  
Turning to the blonde, Midnight walked over and stared into his gray eyes for a moment. All he could see was confusion and the random flicker of excitement.  
  
Reaching out a hand, Harry placed it on the blonde's alabaster cheek and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Draco's soft pink ones.  
  
It was everything a first kiss should be. It was slow and sensual, the kind that left you feeling as if you've fallen into a hole that had no end. It felt like an eternity before midnight pulled away and looked into Draco's gray eyes once again.  
  
"Now that's the way to start a relationship." Draco said as he smiled and leaned into kiss the war mage again.  
  
Two weeks later, Draco was sleeping peacefully in his bed, having good dreams about him and midnight doing a few quite inappropriate things in the astronomy tower when he saw a bright burst of color before his eyes and was instantly awake.  
  
"Draco, come on! Get up, we don't have all day."  
  
Draco groaned at the annoying voice of his roommate and cursed morning people.  
  
It had been two weeks since he'd moved out of Midnight's room and into his small shared room that connected to Brushfire and Sonar's room by a wooden door. His roommate was a nice enough boy, sweet and charming and the all around Hufflepuff. It was easy to believe that Hufflepuff is indeed where he'd be placed if he were ever sorted.  
  
"I'm up Tony, I'm up."  
  
Antonio bounced with happiness and waited for Draco to get dressed. He was already dressed in his white uniform, white shirt, white pants, white shoes, white socks.the list went on and on. Draco's only variation of the trainer mages outfit, was his black Hogwarts robes over them.  
  
To say that Brushfire was displeased with that would be an understatement, she rose hell with Dumbledore and Aqua about it and both said that it would be better when in public. Brushfire had finally agreed after three days of deliberations and a week later was still ranting about it.  
  
With in the two weeks of the new mages arrival, a few things had changed. Divination was now taught by Brushfire. Trelawny was in charge of study hall, which was a new option to students other than going to a particular classroom, or used for others like Hermoine who liked to have no free time at all. And the Divinations classroom now looked completely different after Midnight, Sonar, Jade, and Bloodlust had gotten their hands on it.  
  
The first thing they had down was get rid of the thick curtains that blocked out the sunlight and refused to let fresh-air into the room at all. Next, they took out all of the hideous looking crush velvet red puffy cushions and replaced them with light gold leather foot autumns.  
  
Next came the tables, they pounded the wood down into nothing but large kindling and dust. Harry's reason for doing this was that they were falling apart anyways, might as well help the process along. Jade, Sonar, Bloodlust didn't ask, sometimes it was better not to with the black and silver haired Mage.  
  
After the tables had been torn apart, Sonar and Bloodlust made new ones while Jade and Midnight worked on getting the room to smell more like a room and less like a perfume shop had exploded.  
  
When the tables were finally made, Jade and Harry cut and fitted pieces of soft black leather to the surface of the table to give it a elegant look. The black was actually Midnight's idea.  
  
By the time they were done with it, the room looked simply beautiful. Even Trelawny agreed that Midnight had wonderful taste.  
  
All in all, nothing that didn't need changing anyways.  
  
"Come on! I'm hungry!"  
  
Tony was now bouncing up and down and throwing the random plushies he had scattered around the room at his friend.  
  
"Alright, Alright, I'm dressed."  
  
Draco checked his hair and dodged a stuffed bunny as he headed for the door.  
  
Breakfast had been a pretty routine affair. Gryffindors glared at Slytherins who were discussing very random things, while the Slytherins laughed at their stupid paranoia and continued to have a nice morning.  
  
After breakfast, Midnight and Draco headed down to Potions, waving goodbye to Draco's roommate in the process and watching him practically skip of to the tower behind his orange haired instructor.  
  
"My goodness, but that boy is draining."  
  
Draco laughed as he looped his arm around Midnight's waist and led him to the potions room.  
  
"I'll give you that one. For a Spirit Mage in training, he sure doesn't know how to keep his emotions under control."  
  
Midnight nodded. He remembered the hard times Sonar had had with keeping his emotions under control at first. It had taken three weeks and seven weather mages to get it right, but eventually, Sonar perfected the discipline he needed to have four weather mages spirits light enough to have the sun shining through the windows and three others depressed enough to make a slight drizzle drift across the compound to match their moods, creating a beautiful double rainbow at the same time.  
  
"He'll need to practice that hard if he wants to graduate. Spirit Mages pride themselves on their control. To have someone that rampant would be nothing but dangerous. I hope he figures it out soon."  
  
Draco nodded at that. It made a lot of sense to him. He'd talk with Tony about it. 'I hope we can graduate together, I wouldn't want to be alone.I wonder if they allow trainees and full mages to room with one another.'  
  
Draco was so busy thinking, that he didn't realize that he didn't realize where he was walking until it was to late.  
  
"Hey, watch it Malfoy."  
  
Draco frowned at the voice and brushed himself off from the slight encounter.  
  
"No need to get your panties in a bunch Weasly, I barely touched you. But I guess know I'm going to have to burn these robes because something more disgusting than a mud bog troll has touched them."  
  
Draco wrinkled his nose and took Midnight's hand again before walking over to the Slytherin side of the hall.  
  
A angry growl came from the other boy, but at the sound of footsteps, it was turned into a cough and soon stopped all together.  
  
Snape swooped in and didn't even wait for everyone to be seated before he began to bark out orders.  
  
"Today we are making a Ever Bloom Potion. Professor Sprout needs more for the up coming winter and seeing as in need three full moons to be in the right balance to be used, we should start now. Mister Finnagin, I'd stand two steps away from your partner during this potion, because Merlin know how badly he could screw up and make you have leaves and petals or something equally as terrible. "  
  
Heeding his professors advice, Seamus took a step back and began to read his book. Neville on the other hand, was dicing the dried mugwart and humming softly to himself.  
  
Harry began to peal the silver oak tree bark in front of him and gave soft directions to Vincent on his left. Vincent, who was good at both Ancient Runes and Advanced Numerology, never seemed to have the patience potion making required and tended to just toss everything in at random times and hope for the best.  
  
Back when Harry had still been a Gryffindor, and before his Mage training, he had seen the stocky boy in the Library or in a obscure classroom studying. But he'd never given much thought to what the subjects might be. Eating 101.How to stuff a chocolate cake in your mouth and not gag - beginners course maybe, but never Runes and Numerology, which took a very shape mind to do. Now that he knew to boy, he was quite impressed.  
  
Placing the pealed bark under the cauldron, Harry calmly lit the fire and told the auburn haired boy to add the fire bee honey carefully. After that, Harry set about juicing a Russian grown orange picked in February and telling Vincent how to cube the mugwart, instead of dicing them, for efficiency purposes.  
  
"Midnight, I thought you were a War Mage, not a Potions Master."  
  
Harry sent Pansy a smile and started to explain while still instructing the burly boy beside him on what to do.  
  
"Actually, War Mages are trained in everything you can think of. We have to be prepared for anything. From small fights that break out between the Vampires and the Banshee's, to the impending war with the psychotic hypocrite named Voldermort."  
  
At the sound of his name, the Gryffindors flinched, and more than half of them sent him glares that promised death if he said that particular name again.  
  
"I see, so you know how to do just about everything this school has to offer?"  
  
Harry nodded. "And then some."  
  
Class went by smoothly, Neville didn't melt his cauldron, but that by no means made his potion any less toxic. Hermoine got one point shy of perfect because her mixture was to thick. Ron got one point shy of failing because his potion was a murky gray color when it was supposed to be a light yellow color. And Draco, along with every other Slytherin got perfect or very close to it. All in all, Harry had to admit it was a very calm class.  
  
"Midnight!," said boy turned to see who had called his name. He rose an eyebrow when he saw it was his Spirit Mage.  
  
"Sonar? Whats going on?"  
  
Sonar took a deep breath and placed his hands on his knees trying to draw in enough air to sooth his burning lungs.  
  
"Brushfire had a vision and is insisting you go see her right now." The small boy coughed slightly and stood, straightening his long orange tunic and brush off his white pants. "God these old castles are dirty."  
  
Midnight laughed and tossed his silver hair over his shoulder.  
  
"I quite agree with you. Did she tell you what it was about?" Midnight began to walk off towards the northern tower.  
  
"No, she just-" Sonar was interrupted by someone calling for them to stop.  
  
"Wait, Midnight, what about class? McGonagall will flip if we aren't there."  
  
Harry had to admit that Draco had a valid point. Handing his stuff to his orange haired lover, Midnight gave him a bright smile.  
  
"I'll go see what she's freaked about, but you have to go to my class and take notes. I'll be back before the bell rings." Harry smiled at them and didn't give them time to respond before he had kissed them both and was on his way to see the new Divinations teacher.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~  
  
Ok everyone, I am SO sorry about the delay and I know this chapter don't say much, but I'm just finishing it at 3:34 am. I am so tired I am seeing six fingers on my hand.funny thing was I thought I only had seven..joking.  
  
The reasons for my not getting this post out are very stupid, but my mom grounded me for the most stupid reason, along with her going back to school.so in all it doesn't add up to mean any fun time for Kat-chan..  
  
I want to thank everyone who has stuck by me and Im'ed me telling me to get my rear in gear, It helped it did. I loved the Fan mail and hope to gets lots more. I love you all.  
  
Ps. If anyone wants to do FanArt for me, on any of my fics, but this one in particular, I wouldn't be obgect to it. Anything is welcome...  
  
Your diligently writing author,  
Kat =^-^= 


	6. A War Mages Path chapter 6

Chapter 6   
  
Sonar watched the War mage walk off and sighed deeply. 'Great...and its only half way though double potions.'  
  
He turned towards the blonde Slytherin on his right and blinked at him before giving him a small smile and gesturing for him to lead the way back.  
  
Draco nodded and turned, quickly going back to his seat and sitting down just as the alarm went off, signaling the end of classes and the beginning of the next half of potions for both the Gryffindors and the Slytherins.  
  
It was around dinnertime when Harry made his way to the Slytherin common room and threw himself on one of the soft couches to think.  
  
'Betrayal...death at the hands of a trusted friend...' Harry sighed tiredly. 'How could this happen? Who could it be?'  
  
Harry spent such a long time staring into the fire and thinking, that he didn't hear the rest of the Slytherins enter the room, nor did he see Draco and Gregory sit on either side of him.  
  
Draco hesitantly took his 'boy-friend's' hand. "Are you alright?," he asked, wrapping his arm around the Mage and scooting close so that he was practically in his lap.  
  
Harry blinked and looked at Draco startled. "Yeah..." He smiled and kissed the blonde softly and he pulled him completely onto his lap. "I'm alright, How long have you been here without my knowledge?"  
  
Draco relaxed into Midnight's familiar form. "Just a little while...," he said, kissing the raven haired boy again.  
  
"That's good, Greg, how is your report on Adv. Muggle Studies coming?" Harry asked as he stroked Draco's back and looked at his friend.  
  
"Its going well, I have seven more inches and then I'm done..." Vincent laughed and stepped behind his boyfriend.  
  
"More like twelve, he hasn't even started and its due on Monday..."  
  
Draco chuckled, leaning his head on the Mage's shoulder. "I'd spend less time with Vince and more time with your quill..." He shifted his weight slightly as a thought of what he could do with a quill to Midnight sprang to mind.  
  
Harry laughed and nodded. "So says the blonde who hasn't started on the eight inch Divinations explanation on how the energies work with in a crystal ball..."  
  
Draco sighed softly. "Well, I've been slightly distracted," he replied, frowning as he recalled the turbulent night he'd had trying to keep up with Tony's terrible mood swings.  
  
Harry laughed and pushed Draco to his feet as he stood. "Well, seeing as all of us have work to do, I suggest a large fellowship down to the library..." He said as he pushed his silver hair over his shoulder and held out his hand to help Gregory up. "What do you say? I'll even make a ring to go along with the charade..."  
  
Draco shook his head and watched as his friend took Midnight's hand. He slipped an arm around the War Mage's waist.  
  
Gregory laughed and nodded as he held out his hand for Vincent. "Yes, but there are only four of us, weren't there nine in the book?"  
  
Harry nodded. "So there were..." He looked around for a moment and saw Pansy in the mist of shoving her tongue in Millicent's ear. "Pansy Darling, Milli, Come here, we need more people!"  
  
"For what?," Pansy asked, pouting slightly now that her goal had walked to the Mage.  
  
"We are putting together a fellowship to the library and we need both of you to join us." Harry said as he winked at the girls. "Care to play along?"  
  
Millicent nodded and laughed as Pansy began to nibble on her neck. "I have to research Morgan La'Fey for a Magical History class anyways..."  
  
She nipped at the girl's soft skin gently. "Sure... I'm game," she replied, grinning and thinking of isle 12 and how no one ever went down it.  
  
"Ok, Now we just need three more..." Harry said as he looked around the common room and smiled when his eyes settled on Basil. "Draco love, go see if Basil wants to play with us as well...."  
  
Draco nodded and quietly walked over to the seventh year. "Hey, Basil, do you want to join the fellowship of the library? We're heading down there now..," he said, giving the blonde a smile.  
  
Basil looked at his ex and rose an eyebrow. "What's in it for me Malfoy?" He asked with a quick sweep of the aristocrats body. "Broken up with that Mage yet?"  
  
Draco gave the boy a smoldering look full of promises that he never intended to keep. "Of course not, but I don't think he'd mind sharing," he teased, tossing his hair over his shoulder and smiling. "But if you don't want to study, that's fine with me."  
  
Basil smiled wickedly and followed the platinum blonde. "I'll study with you all you want..."  
  
Draco gave him another smile before resuming his spot at Midnight's side. "Now all we need are two more," he said.  
  
"Two more...two more..." Harry frowned when he didn't see anyone else he particularly liked until a familiar pair of gold eyes caught his attention. "Rayanna, What happened to your hair?"  
  
The girl sighed and fingered her now short dull brown locks. "I got attacked by a vengeful Hufflepuff with a death wish and this was the out come..." She shrugged and walked over to them. "So, what are you guys doing?"  
  
Vincent smiled in sympathy at the girl and began to explain. "We are gathering together nine people to go to the library, a fellowship if you will...nine friends..."  
  
R.I.P. laughed and nodded happily. "Sure, I love that book..."  
  
Draco gently slipped his hand into Midnight's. "I've never read it," he said. "Who's our ninth going to be?"  
  
"Drake!!!" Just then, Tony came bouncing into the room and pounced on his roommate, a stuffed green turtle under his arm. The Slytherins collectively shivered.  
  
Draco laughed and pushed Tony off of him. "Well, that problem is solved as long as I can get a silencing charm.....," he said, ruffling Tony's hair. He offered his hyperactive roommate a hand up.  
  
Tony grinned and stood looking at the group. "What did I solve?...Midnight!"  
  
Harry laughed as he was attacked by the adorable Spirit Mage. "Hello to you to Tony... you solved the problem of the ninth person for our quest to the library."  
  
"Oooh, you mean like in 'Lord of the Rings'? I liked that book, I read it when I was younger..." Tony nuzzled the War Mage and smiled. "So, what are we waiting for?"  
  
Draco smiled and shrugged. "Nothing but parchment," he said, grabbing his bag and waiting.  
  
Harry picked up his own bag and waited as the others left to get their own random homework and research projects. "How was dinner Dragon?"  
  
Slowly, Draco slipped his arm around the Mage. "Good. We spent the entire meal commenting on the need for fireplaces and how to decorate them," he replied, nodding solemnly.  
  
"Well, heaters work just as well, but you can't really decorate them, I'm sorry I missed it..." Harry smiled at his friends when they approached again and kissed Draco's hair.  
  
"Weasly turned positively purple with anger by the end of the meal....," Gregory replied, laughing as Vincent slipped a hand over his bottom.  
  
"Why?" Harry asked as they began the quick journey.  
  
It didn't take long to get to the library. Along the way, he'd found out that Ron had not only figuratively turned purple with anger, he'd actually turned purple from a potion a second year Ravenclaw had slipped into his drink.  
  
Harry was still laughing when they reached their table and had to be shushed by Madame Price twice before he got his voice under control.  
  
Draco frowned down at the practically blank scroll in front of him and excused himself to find a book on Crystal Balls, mentally cursing his meager two inches so far.  
  
Harry smiled at his friends and pulled out his syllabus for the next class of fourth years he was teaching. "I think banshees will be our next project...I remember Professor Lockheart and his claims to fame with getting rid of the swamp banshee..." He laughed. "He was a stupid man....I'm so glad he doesn't know who he is anymore..."  
  
Gregory's eyebrow's drew together. "You knew Lockheart?," he said, tilting his head at the War Mage and watching him closely.  
  
"Um...I knew about him through stories...we Mages know everything..." Harry sighed mentally and smiled at the hearty boy as he pulled out a set of glassed and began to read.  
  
Draco returned to the table, frowning at the book. He looked up at Midnight and blinked in surprise. He shook away the feeling of familiarity and went back to his essay, ignoring the looks that Basil was sending him. For a moment there, Midnight had looked like Harry Potter.  
  
"I swear...sometimes I wish I'd've kept my hair short..." Harry murmured as he pulled back his hair and secured it with a tap of his finger. "Ok...I'll be right back..." He said as he moved away from the table and disappeared into the cavernous rows of books.  
  
Draco closed the book with a snap and walked to the divination isle. "I just can't get the right book....," He said as he scanned the titles.  
  
"Want some help?" Harry asked as he picked out a book and adjusted his glasses to read the small title.  
  
Draco smiled at the silver and black haired boy. He leaned over and kissed Midnight's ear softly. "Only if you want to write my essay...." He whispered, tracing the shell of the Mage's ear in a burst of boldness he hadn't felt in years.  
  
Harry shivered and put the book back slowly. "No thank you, But I can give you the right book..." he whispered as he turned to look at his blonde companion.  
  
Draco kissed the Mage, slipping his arms around Midnight's neck. He pressed his body against his lover's, fitting Midnight's smaller frame in the hallows his of easily. "I could always skip it entirely...."he said, voice husky and deeper.  
  
"You could, but then what would Brushfire say, my Mage-in-training..." He laughed and gazed up into Draco's silver blue eyes. "Wow..." he breathed. "You do have the most piercing eyes I've ever seen..."  
  
Draco blushed slightly. "Thank you....."he mumbled, leaning down to capture Midnight's lips again. "And you have very soft lips." He smiled, selecting a book and walking off to the table, leaving the War Mage in the isle.  
  
Harry leaned back against the bookshelf behind him and took a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart. After he collected himself again, Harry found the book he needed and headed back to the table pausing when he heard the groups conversation.  
  
"Has anyone noticed that Midnight looks like the missing boy-who-lived?" Basil asked as he flipped open a second book to cross-reference a potion's properties.  
  
Gregory nodded. "Odd that... but the boy who lived is probably dead and gone by now," he said, shaking his head.  
  
Draco frowned at his essay. "Does anyone know how this works?" he asked changing the subject and holding up a rather complicated diagram of a crystal ball.  
  
There was a mass shaking of heads as everyone went back to their own homework and Basil tried again.  
  
"No really, when he put on those glasses, I swear it was like...scary... Even if Potter is dead, what if he's like a freak look alike or something?" The blonde chuckled to himself. "Or a twin the freak never knew about..."  
  
Draco stood, growling angrily at his ex. "Basil, if you don't stop your jaw from wagging, I'll stop it for you. Potter is dead. End of discussion," he said, glaring at the blonde dangerously.  
  
Harry smiled and walked over to the table as if he'd heard nothing. "Hey, what do you guys think about a lesson on mermaids?"  
  
Swiftly, Draco gathered up his stuff and shoved it into his bag. "I'll see all of you later... I'm going to finish this in my room," he said, hefting his bag and leaving the library after a long glare at Basil.  
  
Harry blinked and smiled his friends and picked up his planner, "I'm going after him, could one of you pick up a book on Mermaids, one on Banshees, and another on Orleas? Thanks?"  
  
Harry waved at his friends as he ran after his boyfriend. "Draco..."  
  
Draco stopped and waited for Midnight to catch up with him. "Yes?" he asked, giving the Mage a slightly forced smile.  
  
"What wrong?" he asked frowning slightly at the tense air around the blonde. "You seem...upset, did I miss something?"  
  
"Don't worry about it.... Just Basil being stupid," Draco replied, trying to relax. He started walking back to his rooms, Midnight falling in step beside him. "Want to help me with this essay?"  
  
"Still having trouble?" Harry asked as he took off his glasses and smiled at the training mage. "What are you having problems with?"  
  
Draco smiled again as he approached his room. "Keeping Tony quiet for more than two minutes," he replied, adjusting his bag.  
  
"That's not surprising..." Harry laughed. "Don't worry Spirit Mages are so weird..."  
  
"He grows on you, though...." Draco said, smiling and opening the door. He let Midnight go through first and shut the door softly behind them. He flopped onto his bed, dropping his bag on the side.  
  
"What did Basil say that upset you so much?" The Mage asked. He sat down on the bed as well and released his hair with a tap of his finger, allowing it to fall around him in a wave of black and silver.  
  
Draco stroked Midnight's hair gently, sliding his hand over the silky strands. "He was making cracks on Potter again.... It just irritates me. I don't like it when he talks about people when there not there. Especially people that I liked," he replied, sighing softly.  
  
"Do you truly think he's gone?" Harry asked with a slight smile as he pulled out his planner and began to fill in the blank spaces.  
  
Draco shrugged and reached for his bag. "I don't know. It's funny... but even after all this time I still want to be with him," the platinum blonde said, pulling out his essay and the book he'd swiped from the library.  
  
Harry smiled and coughed slightly to get rid of the silly expression. "What book is that?" He asked shifting closer and looking over the blondes shoulder.  
  
"The Divine Workings of Crystal Balls," Draco replied absently, distracted by the feeling of Midnight's warm body through his white trainee clothing.  
  
"Ok, well, at least you have the right book now..." Harry teased, pulling out his glasses and slipping them on. "....if I remember this book correctly, you'll need...page 143..."  
  
Draco looked and began to scribble away on his parchment, trying to rapidly finish his essay. It took two hours and a lot of crumpled parchment, but when he was done, he slammed the book shut and stretched his triumph.  
  
"Done?" Harry asked as he pushed a stray piece of hair away from his face and smiled at the blonde.  
  
"Yes, finally," Draco replied. He smiled and brushed another lock of hair out of the Mage's eyes.  
  
"That's good," Harry replied softly. "I was about to fall asleep..."  
  
Draco gently eased Midnight down next to him, pushing all the various writing tools onto the floor. "I'd hate for that to happen..." he whispered softly before lowering his lips to the Mage's.  
  
When Tony walked in, Draco sighed in frustration and smiled at his roommate. "Hey, Tony."  
  
"Did I interrupt something?" The blonde asked softly, looking from his roommate to the full mage beneath him.  
  
"No. Of course not...." Draco drawled, smiling at his friend. "It's okay. You can come in, Tony.."  
  
Tony smiled and went over to his bed. "Can I practice on you?"  
  
Draco nodded, detangling himself from Midnight and sitting up. "Fire away."  
  
"Ok, talk to each other, I'll do the rest." He smiled sweetly and closed his eyes to get the feel of the energies in the room.  
  
"You looked absolutely delectable in that shirt you wore that was just buckles..." Draco blurted out, blushing furiously and shooting Tony a look.  
  
"Thank you," Harry answered. "My tastes have changed quite a bit over the years..."  
  
"What did you used to wear?" Draco asked, genuinely curious.  
  
Harry got a panicked look as he heard himself answer truthfully once again.  
  
"Hand-me down cloths from my cousin that were twelve sizes to big for my malnurioused body..."  
  
Draco's eyes widened in shock and anger. "Didn't your parents do anything?" he asked.  
  
Harry nodded as his emotions swung from truthful and panicked to truthful and sad. "No, My parents died when I was quite young."  
  
"How'd they die?" Draco asked, feeling a wave of depression slide through him.  
  
"Voldermort..." Harry responded, the sadness increasing.  
  
"I'm sorry..." Draco replied. His emotions took a violent turn to happiness and he giggled. "Do you like Quidich?"  
  
Harry chuckled and nodded when his sadness turned into blazing desire. "Yes, I do..." He said as he crawled forward until he was inches from Draco's lips. "I used to play on my school's house team...do you...like to play?" He asked as he rose his eyebrow and licked his lips slowly.  
  
"No pron!" Draco murmured to Tony as he grabbed Midnight and flipped the mage onto his back and began to rapidly strip him ravish his delicious body.  
  
Harry moaned softly. "Tony, No playing with – ah – that emotion..."  
  
Tony giggled and quickly turned their lust into revulsion. "Better?"  
  
Draco gagged slightly. "NO!!" he growled, pulling away from Midnight and wrinkling his nose. He closed his eyes. "I'm going to be sick...."  
  
Harry shuddered as he felt his skin crawl from the touch, that just a moment ago had brought him so much pleasure. "Tony!"  
  
Tony giggled again and released his hold on their emotions. "I'm done, Thanks!" and with that, he grabbed his turtle and bounced out of the room.  
  
Draco sighed, leaning back against the wall. "He does that while I sleep. He must get some perverse pleasure out of waking me in the morning either crying or..... unable to lay on my stomach...."  
  
"Spirit Mages..." Harry said with a sigh as he reached for his shirt. "I'm glad I'm not roomed with one. Although mine and yours act alike...scarily enough..." He blushed at the thought that Draco had just been exploring his body with his mouth.  
  
Draco lightly ran his hand over Midnight's chest. "It's quite disturbing," he said leaning over and kissing the mage softly.  
  
Harry was shocked for a moment before he remembered that he was a mage now and used to such things. "Mmm...quite..." Moaning softly, Harry lay back down and continued to kiss his boyfriend.  
  
Draco stretched out next to Midnight and nipped his neck softly. "Can I...."he asked softly, gently stroking the mage's chest.  
  
"Can you what?" Harry asked, looking into Draco's eyes and feeling himself get lost in their depth.  
  
"Can I make love to you?" Draco asked, blushing scarlet but refusing to back down.  
  
Harry kissed the blonde and smiled sadly. "No, it's against the rules for mages to sleep with trainees..."  
  
Draco nodded and took a deep, calming breath. "I understand," he said, pulling away slightly and reaching for Midnight's shirt. He pulled it over the mage's head. "So we'd better remove the temptation from my wandering eyes." Draco tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace as he tried to control his desires.  
  
"I'm sorry...if only you'd...no...I have to go..." Harry scooped up his bag and ran out, forgetting all about his planner that still lay face open on the bed.  
  
Draco sighed and looked at the abandoned papers. He flipped through the pages until he came to the title page.  
  
"Property of War Mage Midnight"  
  
'Harry Potter' scratched out above that with vicious marks making it almost illegible.  
  
He froze, staring down in disbelief at the words written there. Midnight was Harry Potter......  
  
Hey everyone! Yes, I'm back after a very long absence, but I didn't die and now that its summer, I have all my time to devote to all of you, my loyal fans.   
  
I have also brought my friend Demonic Vogel in to help me though a lot of my writers block. We have been partners for quite some time and with out her this chapter wouldn't've been possible.  
  
Don't forget to review, we love to hear your comments.  
  
All my love,  
  
Kat == & Demonic Vogel 0.o  
  
P.S. We don't own 'Lord of the Rings' all of that belongs to Tolkin.  
  
P.P.S. Yes, she really does make that face....=o.o=... 


	7. A War Mages Path chapter 7

Chapter 7   
  
Harry yawned when he woke and snuggled deeper into Jades strong embrace. Smiling wickedly, he leaned up and licked the magenta haired mages tanned skin.  
  
Jade stirred slightly in his sleep, pulling his lover closer to him and nipping his ear. "Too early....," he mumbled.  
  
Harry giggled and nuzzled hi bedmate. "Breakfast my dear....or I'll let Quicksilver wake you up..."  
  
Groaning, Jade sat up. "Fine... I'm up already...," he said, sighing and climbing out of the bed nude.  
  
Harry smiled and tilted his head to the side. "I think only select few other mages are as lucky as I am..." Sighing, he moved out of bed and shook out his hair.  
  
Jade smiled back at the mage. "Oh yes.. don't you know it...they all want my sexy body...," he said, raising an eyebrow sarcastically.  
  
"Oh yes, every single one of them..." Harry laughed and sauntered into the bathroom. "then again, you're lucky yourself..."  
  
"Mmmmm... any chance of me getting luckier in the shower this morning?," he asked, grinning wickedly at the silver haired mage.  
  
"I thought you said it was to early..." Harry called as he turned on the water and smiled as the steam ruffled his hair.  
  
Jade came up behind him and wrapped his arms around the boy's waist. "With you, my little tea scone, it's never too early to get lucky...."he whispered, moving Midnight's hair to nip at his skin.  
  
Midnight chuckled and gave the older mage a wicked smile as he pulled them both into the large clouds of steam.  
  
Draco sat down at the Slytherin table and put a few pieces of bacon and a scoop of eggs onto his plate. He ate quietly, barely noticing the people around him.  
  
"Wow, Midnight looks...glowing this morning..." Pansy said with a chuckle as she looked back at Draco. "I think your boyfriends being unfaithful Draco darling..."  
  
Draco looked towards his supposed boyfriend and saw what Pansy was talking about. Midnight was glowing. He had on a long leather duster with silver clasps that jingled and flashed as he walked, allowing glimpses of his tight leather pants that left nothing to the imagination. He had knee high black boots with silver laces that matched a hip length tunic like shirt with silver trim.  
  
Draco looked away and back at his plate, his embarrassment and anger returning. 'I can't believe I told him all about how much I liked Harry...him! Merlin, he was probably laughing at me behind my back the whole time...' he thought, scowling and drinking his juice.  
  
"Good morning everyone!" Midnight smiled brightly. "How is everyone today?" he asked as he sat next to Draco and kissed his cheek.  
  
Draco sat silently and continued eating, not looking up at the silver haired boy.  
  
"Obviously not as good as you...," Pansy said, smiling and raising an eyebrow. "You're positively glowing, Midnight."  
  
Midnight blushed and began to eat. "Well...it's nothing special..."  
  
"You look like you just got some, but Draco doesn't look like he did," Pansy said, smiling. "Well.... Out with it.. who's the lucky person.."  
  
"No one, can't I be happy in the mornings?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
Pansy held up her hands. "I'll drop it," she said with a secretive smile and a glance up at the staff table.  
  
Draco finished eating and headed back to his room to gather up his parchment and quills. He stuffed them everything into his school bag and sighed as he saw Harry's planner sitting on his bed. Quickly, he stuffed that into his bag as well and headed down to potions as the bell rang.  
  
Midnight quickly made his way to the dungeons and smiled at Greg and Pansy when he slid into his seat at the door closed and Snape appeared.  
  
"Why are you late?" Greg whispered to the mage when Snape began to speak.  
  
"I couldn't find my lesson planner, still can't..." he murmured back as he flipped open his book and smiled when he saw the potion they were making. "I love this potion..."  
  
Draco quietly opened his book and began powdering pieces of a dragon eggshell for the potion, ignoring the War Mage entirely.  
  
Greg looked at Draco and tilted his head in confusion. "Midnight, do you know what's wrong with Draco? He hasn't said a word all day....," Greg whispered to the silver haired boy. "It's almost like when we were in sixth year."  
  
Midnight shook his head and frowned. "No," he replied. "What happened in sixth year?"  
  
"It was when he was dating Basil. The night that they broke up, Basil tried to force Draco. When Draco refused, Basil was really mad. Draco disappeared for two days and then just re-appeared as if nothing had happened. He stopped talking and didn't start again until this year. He wouldn't even answer any of my letters over the summer," Greg explained, looking at Draco.  
  
Midnight scowled and tried to force the dangerous feelings out of his blazing silver eyes. "I just saw him last night...if anything happened...I'll kill them..." he said quietly and began to slice a spiders liver with one of his daggers.  
  
Greg shrugged. "Basil was in the common's all last night. He went to bed around the same time that I did," he said, sighing. "I just don't know what's wrong with Draco. He didn't say anything at breakfast, and didn't even taunt Weasly when we came in today."  
  
"I'll ask what's wrong after class..." Midnight said slowly and he thought about everything that happened between last night and this morning.  
  
It took most of the hour to complete the potion, Harry kept looking up at Draco and frowned when Draco ignored his warning and didn't wait to throw in his chopped cherry root. This ended up turning his potion a shade off of orange and caused Snape to frown slightly when the potion ended up being a hair to thick.  
  
Harry and Greg got good marks not perfect, but fairly good. Snape made a comment on War Mage's being over confidant to which Midnight rose and eyebrow and flashed his dagger at. Snape didn't say anything else and walked away quickly to inspect another pairs potion.  
  
After Snape inspected his potion, Draco put some of it into a flask and corked it. He set it on the Potion Master's desk and went back to his own area to clean it up.  
  
Midnight smiled at his partner when they were done cleaning and picked up his bag. "Draco, my love, I need to see you after class..." he said as he walked over to the blonde and wrapped his arms around the trainee's waist, holding him tightly when he felt the boy ready to move away.  
  
Draco nodded, trying to pull away from Midnight. When the Mage wouldn't let go, he waved his wand to clean up the mess on his table without speaking a word. He tugged Midnight's hand loose and stepped away, pretending to busy himself with locating a quill from his bag.  
  
Midnight nodded and dusted off his jacket as a set of loud magical bells and whistles signaled the passing period. Midnight pulled Draco into an unused classroom and quickly shut the door, sound proofing it and adding an extra locking charm just for good measure.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked softly as he turned to look at the blonde.  
  
Draco nodded, fidgeting with the hem of his black robes. He brushed his shoulder length blonde hair behind his ear, looking at the door.  
  
Midnight frowned at the boy's nervousness and stepped closer to him. "You wear your emotions to clearly, tell me what's wrong..."  
  
Draco stepped back, finally meeting the Mage's eyes and scowling. "Nothing," he said, moving towards the door skirting around Midnight and not touching him. He tried the handle and rose an eyebrow. "We're going to be late," he stated, his voice flat and emotionless.  
  
"I'm a mage and really am only going to classes because Dumbledore wants me to...I'm 'under age'" he laughed. "I swear that man grows battier everyday..."  
  
Midnight leaned back against a desk and smiled at the blonde. "So I can keep you here as long as I want and pass it off to him as training..."  
  
Draco shrugged and sat in a desk, pulling out a piece of parchment and began proofreading his divination's essay. He made a small change in spelling and capitalized a word.  
  
Harry yawned and pulled out his potions textbook and began to read. "I can wait as long as you can my love..."  
  
Draco's stomach began to rumble about an hour later. He ignored it as the bell for lunch sounded. He pulled out a novel he was reading and found his place, slipping his essay and textbook back into his bag. The blonde still refused to speak to Harry, and his mood grew darker with each passing hour.  
  
"Hungry?" Midnight asked softly as he moved closer and smiled at the blonde trainee.  
  
Draco shrugged, continuing to read his book and not looking at the silver haired mage. His stomach rumbled again and he shifted in the desk, reaching for his bag of cookies.  
  
"Would you like lunch?" Midnight tried again, moving closer to him.  
  
Draco shook his head and munched on his cookies, taking the edge off of his hunger.  
  
Harry sighed. "Why are you so upset at me, tell me my love..."  
  
"Can I leave yet?," Draco asked, raising his eyebrow and looking up at Harry coolly.  
  
"Are you ready to talk to me?" Harry asked with a raise of his eyebrow.  
  
"No. I'm not going to," he said, pursing his lips. "And I never will. Brushfire will be very mad if I don't show up for Divinations."  
  
"Problem easily solved..." Midnight said as he pulled out a crystal ball from his bag and placed it in front of the blonde trainee. "Now are you going to talk to me? Because if not I need to go find my planner and get to class, because I have a lesson to teach in twenty minuets..."  
  
Harry looked at his fingernails and waited.  
  
Draco scowled and reached into his bag. He pulled out Harry's planner and slapped it onto the desk. "There's your planner," he said, crossing his arms over his chest and gathering his things back into his bag.  
  
Midnight blinked and quickly grabbed his planner holding it to his chest. "Thank you...I must've left it in your room last night..."  
  
"When you ran out," Draco said, standing. "Can I leave now?" He frowned down at the mage and moved to the door. "I really need to get to Divinations."  
  
"Actually its time for D.A.D.A, lets go....thank you for my planner..." He looked at Draco and walked forward. "Shall we go?" He smiled sweetly.  
  
Draco nodded and waited for Midnight to remove the wards on the room.  
  
Midnight removed the wards as the bell rang for the passing period and quickly scooped up his crystal ball as he hurried out of the room to get to his class.  
  
"Come on, well be late..."  
  
Draco walked after Harry and moved slowly down the halls, turning and taking a different, yet slower route to the classroom.  
  
Midnight smiled when he entered the classroom and went straight over to his magenta haired lover and kissed his neck. "Hey...I missed you at lunch..."  
  
"Where were you?," Jade asked, shivering and slipping his arms around his silver-haired lover's waist.  
  
"Dealing with an irate boyfriend..." he sighed. "Draco is very angry at me for some reason...oh well...mind showing me what I missed in...two minuets?"  
  
"Mind if I snack on you?" he teased, nipping at Midnight's ear as he moved away and began the class.  
  
"By all means..." Midnight chuckled tapping the chalk and turning to the class. "Mermaids...most people think that mermaids are beautiful creatures with long graceful tails and the upper torso of either males or females." He shook her head. "But that's no the case. I've seen them before, not quite so pretty. They are slightly grayish blue and covered in seaweed."  
  
The lesson went smoothly until everyone was split into groups of four to work on translating the Merish alphabet.  
  
"Draco..." Midnight said. "Why aren't you working in the group I put you in?"  
  
Draco held up his half-finished paper in response. He rose an eyebrow in challenge and went back to his paper.  
  
Harry looked at the other War Mages and sighed. "Draco, please work with your group, you might already know this, but they my not. Please, get into your group."  
  
He didn't wait for Draco's response as he moved over to Jade and Bloodlust and sat on the desk to see what they were talking about.  
  
Draco moved his desk over to the other students and continued working on his own, allowing the others to copy off his paper. He finished and took out his novel, opening it and ignoring the chatter of his group.  
  
"Jade, what do you suggest I do? He is just blatantly being disrespectful..." Midnight said as he looked at the Mage-in-training.  
  
Jade chuckled. "Beat him with a stick. While he's sleeping," the magenta haired man said, smiling.  
  
Midnight laughed. "Don't tempt me Jade, I'll do it...and you know I will..."  
  
"You could always do to him what Aqua did to me after I kissed her. Make him stand for two days straight holding up buckets of water and rocks," he suggested, sitting next to Midnight with his back to the class. "Or stick a snake....." he shuddered slightly, "in his bed while he sleeps." He smiled and reached for his lover's hand, stroking it softly.  
  
"The bucket idea isn't all that bad...but he isn't under my command, Brushfire is his Mage." Midnight said as he shifted closer to the magenta haired mage and smiled. "And unfortunately if I remember Draco as I do, he loves snakes...so that's out..." he looked over and shook his head. "Excuse me dear."  
  
Midnight slid off the desk and approached the front of the class. "Since Mr. Malfoy thinks that helping his group means letting them copy off of his already completed paper, I think it's only fair that I assign more work."  
  
Draco ignored the glares of all the students and calmly took out another roll of parchment and his quill. He sighed in boredom and looked up at Midnight expectantly.  
  
"By tomorrow, I want a complete five inch essay on the contrasts and similarities between the real merpeople and what most people perceive as the real merpeople. I want it all in Merish with a complete translation. I don't want each letter translated, I want words. That means if all of you aren't in the library, I don't think this will be done right, you may use any source you can think of. If you don't get finished you'd best not show up tomorrow..."  
  
Midnight looked at each of them and rose and eyebrow as he walked back to the desk and sat down again.  
  
Draco pulled out his novel again and continued reading, planning out his essay in his head. He ignored the malice directed at him from the rest of the class. He didn't care. He was too angry at Harry to even make the effort at pretending to care. When the bell rang, he quickly stuffed all of his belongings into his bag and headed for the door.  
  
Midnight heard passing snips of conversation as the students filled out of the room. 'Lovers spat' was the common and when the room was empty, Harry groaned and slammed his head down on the desk.  
  
"I refuse to go to Divination!" he mumbled pathetically.  
  
"Why?," Jade asked, stroking his back softly.  
  
Harry didn't lean up as he answered. "I just showed a the tiniest grain of my temper and I'm sure my friends are going to hate me. Something crawled up Draco's ass and died, so now I'm being challenged every moment I'm around him. And I don't feel well!"  
  
"Maybe Draco gave you cooties?" Jade teased, leaning down to kiss Midnight's head.  
  
"Knowing him the way I do, Most likely!" Harry sat up and looked at Bloodlust. "Bob...love of my life...go kill Draco for me...please?" he whined and was rewarded with a small chuckle.  
  
Bob smiled sadistically and headed for the door, pulling out one of his daggers on the way. "Would you like his head? Or do I get to keep it?" he asked, completely serious.  
  
"Keep his head, bring me his heart in a box..." Harry replied, with a laugh. "I'm joking with you, but no, I know you didn't eat lunch. What with Quicksilver talking to her food again as she most likely was. Go down to the kitchens and ask for Dobby, tell him a friend sent you."  
  
Bob nodded and left the room to look for the kitchen or kill someone trying.  
  
Jade kissed Harry softly. "Do I get to snack on you while he's gone?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows comically.  
  
"Do you I get to play the helpless student?" Midnight laughed as he was dipped back slightly.  
  
"Oh... you'll have to stay after for a long detention. You've been quite the naughty boy, Mage Midnight," Jade said, kissing him deeply.  
  
Harry smiled and locked the door with a wave of his hand as Jade lay him back on the desk.  
  
Draco pulled out the dictionary and looked up a word, ignoring Tony's bouncing and jumping around. He sighed irritably and glared at his two inches. "I hate Merpeople....," he mumbled, ducking as a stuffed turtle flew over his head and absently threw it back. He wrote a few more lines, trying to ignore the feeling that the bottom had just dropped out on his life.  
  
"Dracoo! why do you hate merpeople..." Tony asked as he bounced on hi be and threw his turtle at his blonde roommate again, trying to get his attention.  
  
The blonde turned and gave his roommate a weak smile. "It's not that I hate Merpeople, I just don't really like Midnight too much at the moment. Or anyone beside you, really," he said, stretching and sighing.  
  
"Why? Not happy that War Mage Midnight is sleeping with War Mage Jade and my brother while going out with you at the same time?" He asked as he crossed his legs and bounced onto his bed becoming uncharacteristically quite and attentive.  
  
"That's part of it... I'm just mad at him.... I've been very embarrassed and I don't really want to see him anymore. I can't break up with him, though, because it'll blow my cover." He said with a sigh. "I just don't want to pretend to like someone that I don't particularly like at the moment." Draco gave the Spirit Mage in training a small, weak smile. "It's just complicated."  
  
Tony blinked and tilted his head slightly. "Let me guess...you found out something about War Mage Midnight that you wish you hadn't...you know him don't you..."  
  
Draco's smile faded. "I wish that I didn't... trust me," he said, sighing. "And stop reading my energy.... It's not nice. I'll see you later, Tony. I'm going to go and see if I can't finish this essay in the library or the Great Hall." He grabbed his stuff and started to shove it into his bag. He liked Tony and treasured his developing friendship, but wanted to be alone to try to sort out his feelings.  
  
"Sorry Draco..." Tony said as he looked down at the stuffed animal he was holding and began to play with its feet.  
  
Harry frowned when he flipped open a book on the medicinal properties of strawberries and saw all of the words blank out. He scowled and quickly looked around and saw no one around but heard a few soft giggles and a quick 'shh'.  
  
"I hate students..." He murmured as he shut the book and put it away, intent on going into the restricted section to get away from all of the stupid trick the Gryffindors and Slytherins were playing on him.  
  
Draco put a volume back onto the second shelf and looked around the rest of the restricted section's mermaid volumes. "Dictionary...."he mumbled, running a finger carefully along the shelf.  
  
"You won't find any Merish dictionaries here, and any you did find I don't want to know what you'd say to me in your report." Midnight said as he passed the blonde and continued on his way to a old beat up leather chair he knew was in a back corner. "Now get out of here before I give you a detention with Filtch..."  
  
Draco rose an eyebrow at the Mage. "And here I thought you said that I could use any source I wanted," he retorted, continuing to scan the volumes.  
  
"You can," he called. "Do you have written permission to be here?"  
  
He sighed as he sank down into the familiar chair, flipped open a book he'd picked up on elven healing magic, pulled out his glasses and began to read the gigantic tome.  
  
Draco laughed bitterly. 'This from the boy who frequented this section with out permission himself...' he thought, shaking his head. "You're one to talk..." he said, picking a book up and opening it as he sat in the middle of the isle.  
  
Harry blinked and looked up from his book with a frown. "What do you mean?"  
  
"You used to come up here all the time without permission," Draco replied, turning a page and scribbling down some notes.  
  
Harry froze and dropped the heavy book with a resounding 'Wham-thud' as he felt his heart skip two beats. "W-" He cleared his throat. "I have no idea what you're talking about..." he said as he leaned down and picked up his book reopening it and taking a deep breath.  
  
Draco rose an eyebrow and stood. He shut the book and shrugged. "Whatever," he said, turning to walk to another section on Mermaids.  
  
Midnight laughed softly and looked at the blonde trainee that stood a bookshelf away from him. "You wouldn't be indicating that I am your missing Harry Potter would you?"  
  
"You said it, not me. I'm just a stupid trainee. I wouldn't dare suggest that.... You might give me a ten inch essay on the 'boy-who-lives'," Draco said, shrugging and grabbing a Merish dictionary off the shelf.  
  
"Not much to write about him..." Midnight responded. "The boy was never going to be a mage at the rate he was going...he did a lot of things wrong and screwed up more things than fixed them...but he made a lot of people proud when he graduated..." he smiled at the memory of his graduation. "He was even given his best friend's colors..."  
  
"Mmm... so he screwed all the right people. I'd be proud too," Draco said, walking to the exit and trying not to look back. He felt slightly guilty as he said it, but he would be damned if he was going to be walked on.  
  
"Prissy little daddy's boy..." Harry mumbled as he continued to read, ignoring the pain Draco's comment inflicted. "You'd better have that essay done or Merlin help you..."  
  
"At least I had one," Draco replied, leaving the library and heading to the Great Hall.  
  
Harry sighed as he lay in Jade's arms that night. "Teddy, Do you think I'm a slut?"  
  
Jade laughed. "What would make you say that, my love? No, you are not, nor have you ever been, a 'Slut.'" He said, kissing his lover softly.  
  
"Its just something Draco said when I saw him in the restricted section...which I'm planning to give him a detention for..." Midnight said with a smile. "He said that to graduate I slept with all the right people...he knows who I am..."  
  
Jade stiffened. "How did he find out?" he asked, voice low and dangerous.  
  
"I left my old planner in his room by accident...he must've seen though the scribbling I did over my old name..." Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  
  
"What do you want to do about him?" Jade asked, stroking the bare skin on Midnight's back gently.  
  
Midnight sighed and shook his head. "If it were a random person, I'd say kill them and be done with it. But I know this person...I've known him for years and even though we hated one another, I can't just make him disappear. I'd wipe his memory, but as a Seer Mage god knows what would happen..."  
  
Jade kissed his lover softly. "Do you want me to talk to him?" he offered, moving Midnight so that the boy was lying on his chest.  
  
Midnight laughed softly. "You'd most likely talk to him in the pouring rain while he was holding four buckets of rocks..." he shook his head. "No, I think erasing his memory would be the best option. We'll change a few details and make it so he never had the vision. I'll insist on teaching full time and we'll send Brushfire, Sonar, and Brushfire's trainee back to head quarters with a formal apology."  
  
"Okay," Jade said, smiling at Midnight. He wiggled his hips gently, grinning. "I have no problems at all with that solution.... Although I still want to beat him with a stick while he sleeps...."  
  
"You would..." Midnight responded. "Go to sleep Jade, we have a rough day ahead of us."  
  
Jade sighed in mock disappointment. "Are you saying that I can't beat him???" he asked, the mischievous twinkle in his eyes belaying his disappointed tone.  
  
"You're heart broken I know..." Harry laughed. "No beating students. We will talk to Aqua and Brushfire in the morning. Now sleep." He commanded closing his eyes and sighing at the fact that him and Draco we're never truly going to be friends or anything deeper.  
  
Jade obediently closed his eyes and began to fake snore as his hand crept up Midnight's thigh.  
  
Morning comes quickly when you fall asleep upset. Midnight gasped as he woke up to a bucket of ice water being thrown over him.  
  
"Wakey wakey, Eggs and Baky!" Hellaine screamed as she bounced around and ran out of the room. "The Carrots made me do it!" she called as he last parting shot.  
  
"I'm going to KILL you!" Midnight screamed back as he jumped out of bed and made a bad face at his sopping state.  
  
Jade groaned. "Harry, if I didn't love you so much I'd never sleep in your bed again," he grumbled, grabbing a fresh set of boxers and pulling off his cold, wet ones.  
  
Harry grumbled and nodded as he stepped out of his own boxers and tossed them across the room. "You and me both"  
  
Frowning, Midnight made his way into the bath room and quickly stepped into the shower. "I love Hellaine, I really do, but one of these days...I swear..."  
  
He showered and got out. "All yours...make it quick, we have to be at breakfast early."  
  
"I don't see why I have to take one. I already got one today," he said as he stepped into the shower and turned it on. "By the way... I'm sorry to tell you but we can't wipe his memory."  
  
Harry frowned. "Why not?"  
  
"It'd fry his brain. He's a seer. His brain works in different ways than ours does. I tried to do a memory wipe on one once... Not pretty. He ended up drooling and speaking to his feet for the rest of his life," he said, brushing his teeth.  
  
"It be a nice change for Draco..." Harry said with a sigh as he stormed off to get dressed. "Then I guess our only other option is to kill him..."  
  
Theodore turned off the shower and got out. He laughed. "I have no problem with death. I don't particularly like the little sod. Brushfire does though, she thinks he's a very good student." He grumbled, grabbing his towel and wrapping it around his waist.  
  
"Should've been put back in Gryffindor...bloody Slytherin..." He mumbled as he looked though his closet. He pulled out a black silk poets shirt with large flared cuffs and collar, a pair of black pants that were so tight they looked like a second layer of skin, and a pair of black leather boots that folded over at the knee. Midnight dressed and pulled the whole outfit together with a silver belt made up of large triangles.  
  
"What do you think?" He asked as he turned to Jade and held out his arms.  
  
Jade grinned. "You look like my best wet dream come to life, Harry," he said, leaning against the bed post. "I'd make love to you again if I thought we had time."  
  
"Me? Look at you...purr" Harry smiled and licked his lips at Jade's clothing selection.  
  
The Magenta haired mage was wearing a magenta tank top with an jade green over shirt with ripped sleeves that he tied at his waist. He also wore jade shorts with magenta belt loops, inner lining of his pockets, and the under side of his rolled up shorts that stopped just above his knees and jade sneakers with magenta laces.  
  
"You look like you have a bad boy...punk think going on..."  
  
Jade grin widened. "Well then... I'm just going to have to prove to you that I'm a bad boy....," he said, advancing towards the silver haired mage. He grabbed Harry's chin and kissed him fiercely, loving the taste of his lips. Slowly, he began backing towards the now dry bed, taking Midnight with him.  
  
"Mmm, Teddy I'd love to play with you until classes start, but we need to be at breakfast...so I can at least try to patch things up with Draco..."  
  
Jade sighed. "Alright... but I'm taking you before D.A.D.A....," he said, kissing Harry again. "And you are not a slut. You worked very hard to get where you are. You should be proud of yourself."  
  
Harry smiled and kissed Jade once more before straightening his hair and pulling them out of his room.  
  
Harry looked around the room at all of the students who were in their seats and looking at their hands.  
  
"Was Mr. Malfoy the only one out of all of you that completed this?" He asked as he led up a thick scroll and frowned.  
  
"I let you use anything you could find...How many of you went to the library?"  
  
Draco looked around and saw everyone's hand raised. He scowled at Midnight. The Mage was deliberately singling him out of the group for no other reason than pure spite. It was making him mad. He handed Greg the Merish dictionary he'd found the night before with a small smile.  
  
Greg nodded his thanks and slipped the thick book into his bag.  
  
"Gregory Goyle you give that book back this instant." Midnight said with out looking at him. "And of all of you who went to the library, who went to the restricted section to look for books, or went to Dumbledore, or went to find one of the five War Mages running around this school?" He nodded when nobody rose their hand.  
  
"That's what I thought. I gave you ample opportunity to use every resource at your disposal and no one took the extra incentive...Two points to Slytherin for being the only house to turn anything in. Well done Mr. Malfoy. I expect that paper done by Monday. Now lets move on..."  
  
When Draco was put into a group to research the mummies of Egypt, the entire group kept casting menacing, hateful glares in his direction. He did his work quietly, pretending to be a part of his group, but not really having anything to do with them.  
  
"Draco," Pansy hissed dangerously, "I swear if you get us landed with anymore work, I'm going to curse you so badly you'll wish you'd died. What has got you in such a snit, because whatever it is, you'd better fix it and fast."  
  
"Shut up, Pansy. It's not my fault you didn't do your essay. I offered to help, but you're the one who refused. I gave Gregory my dictionary, so you can both use it," he replied, glaring back at her.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy, If you'd come up here real quick..." Midnight called as he looked up from the book he practically had his nose into see.  
  
Draco stood and walked to the front of the class. "May I speak to you in the hall? Alone?" he asked, looking pointedly at the other Mages.  
  
"Of course..." Midnight nodded and hopped off the desk. He lead the way into the hall and leaned against the wall.  
  
Draco shut the classroom door and glared at the War Mage. "Look, I could give a rats ass about your little secret, but you're threatening my cover. STOP SINGLING ME OUT!! The more you do, the more pressure it puts on me. I'm not going to tell anyone, so you can stop assigning homework and giving detentions. Besides, if I really wanted to tell, everyone would know by now," he said, hands fisting at his sides.  
  
"Look babe, I have yet to give a detention and the homework is necessary, so sod off!. Next I don't know what crawled up your ass and died but you need to check.... First, I'm not a secret, I'm a Mage and a damn good one and I don't want to be who I was anymore. Secondly, you're the one freaking out, I've never treated you badly, I've never hurt you in anyway. But you seem to think that you telling me you love me has changed me in some drastic way after learning my name. Now figure out your issues and figure them out quick. And just to tell you, you're singling yourself out in your own mind...its not me."  
  
Midnight rose an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest, "Are you done now?"  
  
"NO! I'm not. You have got to be the biggest..... AH!," Draco began and stopped, groaning as a splitting pain ripped through his head. He sank to his knees as a vision more powerful than any he'd ever had flashed in front of his eyes. He curled into a fetal position and moaned.  
  
Midnight was running through the forbidden Forest as something large chased him. He was caught. Jade was bursting into a room full of Dementors and his face froze in horror as they captured him and tried to give him the Kiss. Tony was crying as blood gushed from a wound in his thigh. A large red eyed snake sank it's fangs into the helpless Mage in Training.  
  
Draco desolved into tears at the sight of his roommate's torn, broken body. He dragged himself to his feet, forgetting Midnight and began to stumble to the divination's tower.  
  
Harry caught him and shook his head. "Oh no, Its straight to Aqua for you..." He said as he easily lifted the trainee and held him close to his chest.  
  
"Let me GO!" Draco sobbed, struggling until he slipped out of Midnight's arms and landed on the floor with a thud. He pulled himself up by the wall. "Don't touch me!" he hissed, wanting only to see that his roommate and friend was okay.  
  
"Trainee halt." Midnight said. "No vision is real time unless you have a direct connection, I should know. Now calm yourself." He scowled and walked forward and moved to stand in front of the still trainee.  
  
Draco sank to the floor and wrapped his arms around his knees, drawing them up to his chest. He cried silently, ignoring Harry. He'd never lost anyone as close to him as Tony was becoming. His weird roommate was becoming the brother that he'd never had. He mumbled a reply that vaguely sounded like 'go to hell.'  
  
Harry sighed and kneeled in front of him. "Look at me, tell me what happened, I may not be your training mage, and you may not consider me a friend or anything close, but for some reason I consider you my friend and for alittle while there I thought we would be more. Now tell me what you saw..."  
  
Draco used the last reserve of his control to stop crying. He wiped his tears on the edge of his sleeve and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and blew his nose. Slowly he stood, swallowing his emotions. "Take me to Aqua," he said in a calm, steady voice that was betrayed by the pain in his ice blue eyes.  
  
"Alright, let me tell Jade and Bloodlust real quick and we'll be on our way. Come on." Midnight said as he walked back to the classroom and opened the door. "Jade dear, Bob, I'm taking Draco to the nurse, he isn't feeling to well. I'll see you later..." He smiled and caught Draco when he felt the boy move to run off. "Bye..."  
  
Harry closed the door and kept hold of Draco's arm. "To Aqua...."  
  
Hey everyone! Its another chapter! Omg very scary! Anyways, review and tell us what you think!  
  
Forever Loyal,  
  
Kat == and Vogel (My new partner, tell me what you think of our writing, if you don't like it or if you do...review and tell me!!) 


	8. A War Mages Path chapter 8

Chapter 8   
  
Draco pulled his arm away from Midnight, not liking the way his body tried to draw comfort from the Mage. "I can walk on my own perfectly fine," he hissed, swaying a little as he followed Midnight.  
  
"Sure you can, that's why you're holding the wall the keep you up," Midnight replied and he walked in front of the trainee, his hips swaying gently, his hair following just a second behind.  
  
"At least the wall's been touched by less hands," Draco replied, scowling. He felt the guilt in him grow the moment the comment left his lips, but his pride and pain refused to let him apologize for it.  
  
Harry paused a second before continuing on, not letting Draco see the hurt that flickered in his eyes dully. "I can't wait for you to become a mage and have more lovers than I do...then we'll see just who's been used more..."  
  
"If being a Mage means I have to sell my body for information then count me out. Just leave me right here," he said, scowling. "Because I have more respect for myself than that. I'm not going to have everyone and their brother use my body."  
  
Midnight laughed and moved back to stand next to the blonde. "You have no idea of our customs...and I haven't been with everyone and their brother, your roommate is still safe isn't he? He's my Spirit Mage's younger brother..."  
  
Draco looked over and rose an eyebrow, his old Malfoy haughtiness written over his features. "Pray he stays that way. Wouldn't want him to catch anything from you," he said, turning a corner and continuing to walk down the hallway, growing steadier on his feet.  
  
"Yes, Merlin forbid he develop a good fashion sense..." Midnight said as he stepped over a random log in the middle of the hallway. "Why did you call me a slut to begin with? What makes you think I am?"  
  
"You are?," Draco suggested with a cold smile. "I'm a big boy, you know. You don't have to hold my hand when crossing streets. I think I can find Aqua's room with out you." His face was blank and his eyes flat and cold. He didn't let any of the guilt and frustration that was boiling below the surface show.  
  
"I am not." Harry said as he ignored Draco last comment. "I only have Jade and Sonar...and Sonar is mated to me and I have no choice over that one...but he is very useful and sweet on top of that." He smiled and turned down another hallway.  
  
Draco shrugged and followed him, not wanting to hear about anything anymore. He just wanted to get this over with and see that Tony was all right. "Really?" he asked, knowing it was expected of him to ask that question and not really paying attention to the answer.  
  
"Yes, its to bad you won't have the fun I had why I was in training..." Midnight said with a laugh. Those were some of the best days of my life..."  
  
"Is that so?" Draco asked, using the voice he used at his father's business parties. "Do tell." He picked up the pace a little as he made his way down a flight of stairs and turned left.  
  
Harry turned right and paused. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked with a smile.  
  
Draco did an about face and continued walking, trying not to let his brain fall out of his head. He walked in silence, not wanting to admit that he was wrong about Midnight.  
  
"I remember thinking I was a glass of orange juice for a week once...it was very funny...after I was through with my day of rehab mind you..." Harry laughed at the memory.  
  
Draco mentally moved one of his knights while Midnight had been talking. "Oh you poor thing. How did you ever recover?" he asked, sounding as interested as possible. He countered himself with a pawn.  
  
Harry looked at the blonde and chuckled when he realized Draco wasn't paying attention. With a laughed he started taking off his shirt with out missing a beat. "Some one pushed me and I fainted from the thought that I had shattered on impact..." He said as he folded his shirt over his arm and took off his belt.  
  
Draco continued to stare forward, unaware of the boy's activities. He moved his bishop and switched sides. "Terrible. Was he arrested?" he asked, horror in his voice.  
  
Harry laughed and shook his head. "No, here hold these for me..." said as he handed his cloths to Draco. "He was laughing to hard to do much of anything, It was Jade that picked me up and took me to the nurse. The sad this was that when she heard what had happened she began to laugh as well..."  
  
Draco automatically held out his arm. "I'm so terribly sorry," he said, frowning slightly as he moved a rook and put himself in check.  
  
"It was rather funny," He said as he paused to take off his boots and handed them to Draco as well as they went down another flight of stairs. "I was held upside down in isolation for a day because I couldn't stop screaming that I was spilling and they weren't doing anything about it..."  
  
Draco looked over at Midnight and frowned, tilting his head. "Why in the bloody hell are you taking off your clothes?," he asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Because you weren't paying attention to me..." Harry responded simply. "And you just missed a rather funny story of my trainee days..."  
  
"Is there a rule somewhere that says I have to?" Draco asked. "My head does rather hurt and I want to go lay down. Until I get this over with I can't. Can we not stop for games and just go?"  
  
"Who stopped?" Midnight asked as he kept walking, taking his cloths back as he passed Draco and smiling when his snake hissed at him. "I didn't stop once while I was in the process of stripping, I'm rather good at that, being the slut that I am and all..." he said coolly as he knocked on a portrait of a Lady with a lamb in her lap. Said lady instantly fainted at the sight of Midnight who was still half-naked and not moving to put his cloths back on either.  
  
Draco shrugged. He refused to rise to the childish bait that Harry had just placed in front of him. Using one of his favorite mind tricks, he controlled his body's response to the Mage's closeness and lack of dress. He had tasted his boot, and it was chewy and dry.  
  
Aqua opened the painting and rose her eyebrow at her Mage's state of undress. "Planning to become another glass of orange juice Midnight?" She asked with a raise of her eyebrow.  
  
Draco tilted his head in confusion. Stepping forward, he nodded to the regal looking woman. "He was kind enough to escort me here. I've had a vision that I believe you should hear about," he said, dismissing Midnight from his immediate thoughts as the contents of his vision returned.  
  
Aqua nodded. "Alright, Please come in, and Midnight come in and get dressed before Jade finds out that you're walking the halls naked again. Lord knows we don't need that." She gave them a small flash of a smile. "Midnight, Excuse us."  
  
Harry bowed to his trainer and quickly dressed before he turned and waved to Aqua. "I'll be in my rooms, I suddenly have the need to write to Dragon Tamer all of a sudden..."  
  
Aqua watched the young mage go with a sigh and got a sad look in her eyes as she lead Draco to her parlor. "I wonder what could be so bad right now that he would write to Dragon Tamer..." She wondered aloud to her self.  
  
Draco sat down gratefully in a chair. "I'm sorry to interrupt you. Would you like me to tell you of my vision?" he asked, resisting the urge to rub the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Yes child," she said, pouring him a cup of tea. "By all means, tell me of your vision..."  
  
Draco told her of the vision, describing each scene in as much detail as he could remember. When he was done, he felt his headache return full force and he gave in and began rubbing the bridge of his nose to try to take away some of the pain.  
  
"Is there anything else? Anything you might be missing?" She asked softly.  
  
Draco shook his head. "That's it. I'm sorry that's all I can give you," he said, closing his eyes tightly. "The only thing that I can do is try to have another one when my head isn't splitting apart."  
  
"A vision of the magnitude isn't good to try and repeat, no matter how powerful you are." She said softly. "Go to Midnight's room and ask him for the tea he makes for his visions. I shall talk to Brushfire and call for you later. After you have had your tea, I want you to go to sleep and pray no more visions visit you this day." She said softly as she stood and offered her hand to him. "Come child, I shall help you there..."  
  
"I'd really rather not," he said, standing on his own. "I don't mean to be rude, but Midnight and I don't really get along to well. It's my fault that we don't... but I'd rather not be around him any more." He shook his head to clear some of the cobwebs and straightened his back.  
  
"What is broken can always be fixed with alittle effort..." She said. "Now come along dear. Not even dreamless sleep is as powerful as his blend. I don't know how he does it. But he can do marvelous things with plants..." She chuckled. "Not a word of protest dear, its in you best interest. He should be done burning his letter by now..."  
  
"Ma'am... I'm sorry, but I really don't want to talk to him right now. I'm tired and my head hurts. I just want to go to my room, see that my roommate's alright and go to sleep. Please, I don't want to see him," Draco said, sighing and holding the back of the chair for support.  
  
Aqua rose her eyebrow at him and nodded. "Fine you may go back to your room. I will send him to you." She nodded at that and opened the portrait on her way out, expecting her word to be followed.  
  
"Locked doors....," Draco mumbled, moving after the woman and following her to his rooms. "Thank you very much for escorting me," he said, bowing and turning to enter his room, fully intending to lock Midnight out.  
  
Aqua walked away and smiled secretly to herself.  
  
About twenty minuets later, Harry sighed as he broke the locking spells on the trainee's door and entered slowly, closing the door behind him softly.  
  
Draco rolled over in his sleep, turning his back to the world. He mumbled slightly and sighed, gripping Tony's green turtle.  
  
"Draco..." Harry whispered as he set the tray down and adjusted his glasses. "Draco, I need you to wake up now...just for a moment..." He gently sat down on the bed and very lightly touched the blonde's shoulder.  
  
Draco moaned in his sleep and hugged the turtle tighter. "I didn't take it... I swear..." he mumbled, moving away from the hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Draco darling...please wake up, just for a moment than you can go back to sleep all you like." Harry whispered and smiled when the small blonde mage- in-training entered the room. "If you wake up you can see ...Tony before you go back to sleep..." He tried again.  
  
Draco sat up, his slim body completely nude. "Tony?" he mumbled, holding his head as pain flashed through his brain. "Tony, are you okay?"  
  
"Of course Draco, why wouldn't I be?" He asked softly, moving to his own bed and sitting done with a bounce.  
  
"Draco, drink this...sip it slowly of you'll pass out from shock. Tony will see that you are ok and cared for, I'm going to go now." Harry said as he stood and went over to the other boy. "I want you to take care of him and make sure that whole tea pot is gone before he goes to sleep. Don't drink any yourself, alright?"  
  
At Tony's nod of understanding, Harry kissed his forehead and moved to leave.  
  
"Midnight?" Draco said softly, holding the still full teacup in his hands.  
  
"Yes?" He asked as he turned and looked at his blonde friend.  
  
"I'm sorry that I was cruel to you. I just wanted to hurt you because I was hurt. You're not a... a slut. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like your accomplishments are less than what they are. You're a very nice, sweet person and I've been a complete ass. I'm sorry and I hope that you can forgive my stupidity," he said, looking up into Harry's silver eyes.  
  
Harry smiled and moved back to the bed. "Why Draco, how very sweet of you. I forgive you. You did make me doubt myself for alittle while there, but the moment passed and its alright now." He smiled and pulled the covers up around the blonde's waist. "Now sip you tea and try and be calm."  
  
Draco grabbed Harry's hand and held it for a moment. "You were in my vision.... Promise me that you won't go into the Forbidden Forest without someone else with you?" he asked, real worry and fear in his cold eyes. "And that it's not Tony?"  
  
Harry laughed and nodded as he sat. "If I can avoid it. And why would I take a Spirit Mage with me if I were going to fight evil? No offense but they aren't good for much."  
  
Tony giggled and nodded happily. "It's true, it's true..." he giggled. "And Seer Mages can't do anything either..."  
  
Draco sighed and laid back on his pillows, the tea forgotten in his hand. "Thank you," he said, smiling weakly up at Harry. "If you need anything.... Just ask me."  
  
Harry laughed when he heard Tony singing behind him.  
  
"Call me, Beep me, if ya wanna reach me..." Tony giggled uncontrollably as he sang it again.  
  
"I want us to be friends...and maybe I can help you through you trainee days. Yours won't be as exciting as mine seeing how I was a glass of orange juice, cotton candy, and a giant fruitloop at one time or another, but not everyone is me..." He laughed.  
  
Draco rose an eyebrow and smiled. "I felt like a split melon if that counts," he said, amusement clear in his voice.  
  
Harry laughed and shook his head. "I know that feeling, now sip your tea and be calm. I have a friend to thank...he truly is amazing..."  
  
Slowly, Draco rose the teacup to his lips and sipped the fowl smelling brew. "This smells like Milli's gym socks...," he mumbled, taking another sip.  
  
"But it helps surpress the visions and dulls the pain. I'm still working out the smell and taste...one day I hope to sell it...but as you cal most likely guess, not anytime soon..." Midnight said with a laugh as he stood and stretched. "But I have papers to grade and you have sleep to get. I shall see you tomorrow..."  
  
Draco nodded and sipped the rest of the tea in his cup. He set it down and smiled at Tony. "Can I borrow your turtle tonight?" he asked, not wanting to sleep in the big bed without something there with him. He had the sudden urge to see if Midnight would, but he shook it off, knowing that he'd hurt the Mage with his unkind words.  
  
Tony nodded as he threw a few more stuffed creatures on the bed and bounced onto it himself. "Uh-huh, and I'll sleep here too!" He giggled, "Now, drink the rest of this and stay quite..." He said as he poured the rest of the tea into Draco's cup and beamed at him. "It's very hot..." He said slowly. "Sip it slowly..."  
  
Draco made a face. "I'm too tired to do anything but sleep...."The blonde replied, laying his head onto his pillows and sighing softly. "I'm happy that you're safe, Tony...." He yawned softly and closed his eyes, knowing that Tony would be safe in his bed.  
  
"No, no, no, no, no...War Mage Midnight said to make sure you drank all of it before you went to sleep and you will or I'll beat you with a stuffed ice-cream cone..." He threatened as he held out the cup again.  
  
Draco sighed and opened one eye. He took the cup and drained the icy mixture quickly. "Blech.... That is some of the most horrific tea I've ever had," he said, laying back and closing his eyes. He opened them and watched the room spin slightly. "Oh god...." He mumbled as he felt his stomach protest the liquid. "I believe that I'm going to be sick..."  
  
Tony frowned. "You should pay more attention to detail when a War Mage tells you not to do something..." the blonde nodded sharply. "Close your eyes and take a deep breath, all will be ok..."  
  
Draco swallowed hard and got up, swaying slightly. He felt bile rise to his throat and sprinted to the bathroom. After all of the contents of his stomach were emptied, he laid on the tile floor, felling his head pound worse than before. He sat up and flushed before moving and going back to bed. "Better," he mumbled, holding the stuffed turtle and falling back into a deep sleep.  
  
Tony frowned at his roommate and quickly left to get the mages he knew could help.  
  
"Midnight," Brushfire called as she stormed into the Mages rooms, startling both Midnight and Quicksilver. "What did you give my trainee!" She screamed moving over to Midnight and continued to scream at him. "He's laying in his room twitching and sweating, almost in convulsions, what did you give him!"  
  
Midnight pushed the pink haired woman out of his way. "Quicksilver, go get my potion ingredients, I need to go see Draco."  
  
Hellaine nodded and quickly scurried around the room collecting his things.  
  
"Jade, Bloodlust, come with me, I don't know what to expect." He nodded to Aqua on his way out and ignored Brushfire as she followed him, still yelling the whole time.  
  
Draco moaned and flipped over onto his stomach, groaning. He kicked the covers off of him and clutched at the turtle. "No...." he moaned, tossing his head from side to side.  
  
Midnight entered the room and sighed when he saw that Draco wasn't to bad off. "Well...its better than last time..." he said to himself as he moved to the bed and pulled out one of his daggers.  
  
"What do you mean 'better than last time?'...hey...hey what are you doing to him now? Haven't you caused enough damage?" Brushfire shouted as Midnight sliced open the blonde's palm and licked his blood.  
  
"Shut up lady!" Midnight yelled as he spit onto a piece of paper and watched as a list of all the ingredients he'd used appeared with their quantities next to them.  
  
"The last person who drank my tea to quickly sprouted hair and bit off his own tongue in a convulsive seizure...I'd say Draco's doing rather well," he looked up at the woman. "Wouldn't you? Now leave so I can concentrate."  
  
"You shouldn't've given him the tea to begin with you m- hey...let me go!" Brushfire kicked her pink booted feet in mid air and jerked the best she could as Jade and Bloodlust picked her up and carried her out of the room.  
  
Draco groaned and rolled his back to the room, curling into a ball as chills began to run through his body. He shivered hard, his teeth chattering together. The blonde moaned and began to shake uncontrollably. "Harry..." he whimpered softly.  
  
"Shhh, its alright dragon, I'm here, give me a minuet to figure out what went wrong this time..." He looked over the list. "Hmmm...the shaking must be due to the snowdrops I added...I'll fix that later...Didn't I tell you to sip it slowly?" He asked as he began to mix vials together from the bag Quicksilver had set next to his feet.  
  
Draco huddled into himself groaning as the convulsions worsened.  
  
"Ok...nothing other than the snowdrops is different...Ok..." Midnight continued to mix things and throw unwanted ingredients over his shoulder. "Lets see...Aster, nope..." Midnight frowned and threw it over his shoulder, never noticing a flash of magenta as Jade dove to catch it before the vial hit the ground.  
  
It took a good ten minuets before the mixture was done. "Ok," Midnight said. "Someone open his mouth..."  
  
Jade leaned over Midnight and grasped the trainee's shaking shoulders. He forced Draco onto his back and reached up to open his mouth.  
  
Draco made a gagging sound and rolled onto his side. He retched up what little was left in his stomach.  
  
"Bloody hell.... Hold still..." Jade said, forcing Draco onto his back again and held him still. "Now!" He strained against Draco's muscles as the trainee fought his grip.  
  
Midnight quickly poured the potion into the blonde's mouth and gently massaged his throat. "Swallow this for me Draco and pray it stays down, it only needs a moment to work, but you have to help me..."  
  
Draco felt his stomach rebel instantly as the potion hit it. He sat up and gagged, trying to take deep breaths to quell his nausea. He felt a warmth spread through his veins and he moaned softly, clutching his stomach. He hiccuped and thought that he was going to be sick again. Draco quickly got off the bed and pushed his way through the mages to the bathroom. He fell to his knees in front of the toilet and rested his forehead on the cool surface of the porcelain.  
  
Midnight made his way to the bathroom and knelt next to the Slytherin. "Hey, you'll be alright now...just keep that potion down..."  
  
"What did you poison me with...." Draco mumbled, a small, weak smile curving the edges of his lips. "Whatever it was... I guess I deserved it..."  
  
Harry laughed softly and stroked the blonde's back. "I didn't poison you. I'll admit, the tea had a massive amount of Belladonna and a health dose of Foxglove, but when ingested slowly, the two act as a calmer and the Belladonna reduces pain. You drank it to fast..."  
  
"No more tea....." he mumbled, hiccuping again and swallowing hard. "No more tea... Ever. No more tea...." He lay down on the floor slowly and curled into a ball, holding his stomach.  
  
"I warned you...don't worry, I'm going to take you back to your bed now." Harry gently lifted Draco into his arms and slowly moved back to the bed. "I'm going to stay with him through the night and make sure the potions don't mix badly...Jade, Bob, you can go if you like...I know you have beds waiting for you." Midnight said as he lay the blonde onto the bed and smoothed his hair away from his face. "I need a cool cloth..."He mumbled as he moved away to get it.  
  
Jade kissed Midnight's forehead softly. "I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow, love," he said, holding the Mage close. He smiled at Midnight and left the room, Bob trailing behind him.  
  
Draco moved off his bed, falling to the floor with a loud thump. "Ewww..." he said, reaching for Tony's stuffed turtle and some of his blankets.  
  
Midnight sighed. "Sometimes, I wish I could pause the day, look at it and say, 'this is not my life...'" He said as he took off his glasses and began to strip the messy bed.  
  
Draco shivered again and moved under his bed, closer to the heating vent. He sighed softly. "I'm sorry....." he mumbled as he fell asleep.  
  
Slowly, Draco looked up. He frowned at the dim canopy overhead. He looked around his room and saw that it was empty. Slowly, he stretched his stiff, achy muscles. Draco turned to a soft sigh and saw Midnight lying next to him, face towards the wall. 'He must've stayed with me all night...' Draco thought, feeling a small smile tug at his lips. He rolled to face the boy and wrapped his arms around the Mage's waist, pressing his body closer to Harry's warmth. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep again, holding Midnight close to him.  
  
"Mmm..." Midnight smiled and rolled over and snuggled close to the strong chest next to him. "Morning..." He whispered, kissing his bedmate's collarbone and sighing softly without opening his eyes.  
  
Draco sucked in a breath as he felt his body's reaction to the simple touch. "Harry..." he breathed, closing his eyes tightly. He slipped his arms around the Mage and held him closer. Gently, he slid his hand down Harry's side and rested it on his hip.  
  
Harry opened his eyes and was greeted with a broad expanse of well-muscled pale skin. "Draco?" he whispered.  
  
Draco tried to calm his raging hormones. 'He's a full Mage... you're just a trainee... Just friends...' he thought, forcing a smile to his face. "Good morning, Midnight," he said, moving his hands away from the War Mage. "Thank you for helping me last night.... I really felt rotten."  
  
Midnight chuckled and sat up, keeping his eyes on the blonde trainee. "Does it count if you looked really rotten as well?"  
  
Draco pulled himself out of the bed, wrapping the sheet around himself to cover the fact that he was very attracted to the Mage. "I probably still do... I don't think that I'll make it to lessons today. I'm just going to lay there and feel rotten," he said as he made his way to the bathroom and turned on the shower. "Sorry for causing you so much trouble."  
  
"No problem, I didn't mind, knowing you're safe was the only thing on my mind." Midnight said as he got out of bed and straightened his wrinkled cloths. "Ugh, all I want to do is go back to bed...oh well, I'll dress casual today..."  
  
Draco smiled to himself. It was nice to hear that Harry cared for him in some way. "If you want my essay on the hieroglyphs it's in my bag by the door," he said, stepping out of the sheet and into the hot, steamy water.  
  
"Oh, I'm giving everyone a day off and letting them complete their work. Its all due on Monday. Thank Merlin its Friday..." Midnight yawned and looked up at the clock. "My goodness, its past lunch...I think I'll go back to sleep for the next couple hours till dinner, will you be there?"  
  
Draco felt his muscles relax under the hot water. "Nope. I'm going to shower and then it's right back to bed with me," he said, washing his hair carefully because of his still aching head.  
  
"Then I'll see you later on tonight to make sure you're doing well." He smiled and moved to leave. "Right back to bed with you..."  
  
Draco smiled. "I promise!" he said, rinsing off his hair and reaching for the soap to wash the caked on sweat from his body. "Do me a favor, though!"  
  
"What?" he asked, pausing at the door and looking over his shoulder.  
  
Draco hesitated. 'Will you stay with me?' was on the tip of his tongue. "Get some good sleep," he said instead, sighing quietly.  
  
"Oh trust me," Midnight laughed. "Anyone touches me before I want to be touched, I'll send Bloodlust after them, and that includes Jade..."  
  
Sighing, Draco turned off the water and stepped out, grabbing a towel and drying off his hair. "I guess I'll see you later, then," he said, smiling at Harry and walking over to his wardrobe to retrieve a pair of clean white boxers. 'I would kill for an orange or even pink....' He thought glumly.  
  
"Missing colors yet?" Midnight laughed as he left. "Be careful...Quicksilver never got used to color again...and you see what happened to her..."  
  
"I don't think that I'd ever end up like that... I like green too much," Draco said, pulling on the boxers and slipping back into his bed.  
  
This was completed Really late at night and I'd like to say that although that Scene where Harry told Draco he was a glass of orange juice at one time, was funny, I got this from a guy who really did think he was a glass of orange juice for a couple years. What happened in the end wasn't pretty and I strongly urge everyone reading Never Ever do drugs.  
  
I hope you liked it, Forever loyal,  
Kat == and Vogel 


	9. A War Mages Path chapter 9

Chapter 9   
  
It was Saturday by the time Harry was fully awake and functional. Yawning, he quickly took a shower and braided the silver of his hair, leaving the black streaks loose around his face. After he was dry, he dressed in a silver short sleeved shirt to his knees and a pair of loose black cotton pants. He pulled a long black cotton vest and a pair of black slippers and smiled at how casual he looked to his normal outfits.  
  
"I love the weekends when there is nothing to do..." he said to himself as he yawned again and left the room to find his friends, locate Jade, and check on Draco.  
  
Draco slipped out of his room and quickly made his way out to the grounds, broomstick in hand. He mounted it quickly and slowly flew around the field, careful not to tax his still achy body.  
  
"Draco Malfoy you should be inside resting!" Harry yelled as he walked onto the field after an hour of looking for the Slytherin trainee and smiled.  
  
The blonde saw the War Mage and hovered a few feet above his head. "I am. This is very restful," he replied, grinning.  
  
Midnight grinned as he jumped and grabbed the back of Draco's broom, swinging up to sit right behind him. "Really?"  
  
With a grin, Draco rose rapidly into the air and began his lazy circuits of the quidditich pitch again. "Very. It's always nicer up here. No one to bother you... just you, your broom and the air," he said, his smile turning soft and sweet.  
  
Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around Draco's waist. "I remember...it was always so calming here...until you came around and began screwing with me..." He said with a smile.  
  
Draco leaned back slightly. "That was part of the fun for me. It was the only time that I could mess with you and not get yelled at by the teachers. You'd make this face when you were really mad that just made me laugh so hard... your cheeks got all flushed..." he said, chuckling.  
  
Harry pinched him and scowled as he leaned his head against Draco's strong back. "I make it a point not to get that mad anymore, bad things happen when I'm truly mad now..."  
  
Slowly, Draco released his grip on his broom and guided it with his knees. He laid his hands over the Mage's and stroked Midnight's hand with his thumb. "Remind me to get you angry later to see what happens..." he teased, smiling and looking at the low clouds in the distance.  
  
"Sure, right before you die...I'll make it a point to be angry for you..."He chuckled as he moved closer to the trainee in front of him.  
  
Draco sighed softly. "You know... I used to have dreams about this type of thing. This is the part where I'd say something really clever and you'd swoon," he said, chuckling. "Then I'd take you in my arms... how I don't know... and then I'd kiss you." He shook his head slightly.  
  
Harry smiled. "Try it...say something clever and I'll try and swoon for you..." he said, squeezing the blonde softly.  
  
"The cheese stands alone," Draco said, laughing and holding tighter to the Mage. "I wouldn't suggest swooning, though... I'm not as suave as I was in most of my dreams... Plus my head still hurts." He grinned.  
  
"Oh my god..." Harry said with a laugh, "Draco Malfoy isn't suave and sophisticated? Stop the presses..." Midnight snuggled closer and sighed. "It's getting cold...maybe we should be getting back inside..."  
  
Draco moved forward slightly and slipped off his jacket. He wrapped it around Harry and slipped his arms into the sleeves. "Your eyes shine like stars... your lips beg me to kiss them... I dream of your nubile body...," Draco said, wrapping Midnight's arms back around him and continuing to fly. "Suave enough for you?"  
  
"Oh Draco..." Harry said wistfully, rolling his eyes a moment later. "Oh yes, that's more what I would expect of a Malfoy..."  
  
With a chuckle, Draco brought one of Harry's hands to his lips and kissed it softly. "Why thank you, War Mage Midnight," he said. "I would bow, but I'm afraid that I'd fall off my broomstick for beauty of your eyes."  
  
Harry's breath caught slightly and for once in his life, he truly felt like swooning. "oh..." He breathed, glad that he was behind Draco so the blonde couldn't see his blush.  
  
Reluctantly, Draco lowered Midnight's hand back to his waist. "Oh yes... I made you swoon... I'm a true Malfoy now..." he teased, smiling. He swallowed hard, feeling as if Harry's hands had imprinted themselves on his flesh. He wouldn't be a bit surprised if he went to sleep that night still feeling the Mage's hands.  
  
Harry didn't say anything in response, he just lay his head on Draco's back and closed his eyes. He couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed that Draco didn't pull him around and kiss him as he had described in his fantasies. He frowned and sat up when he heard his name being called softly. "Do you hear something?"  
  
Looking around, Draco saw Jade on the edge of the pitch. "It's Jade," he said, moving to land the broom. His voice was emotionless and polite, unlike the open, happy sound it had before.  
  
"Damn...and I was enjoying our time together...oh well..." He sighed and sat up. "Jade I'm here!" He called as he waved to his older lover.  
  
Draco hovered a few feet off the ground, letting Harry get off. He fought the urge to rise back into the air and stick his tongue at the magenta haired man.  
  
"Hey, Midnight, would you like to sit at the teacher's table with us tonight?" he asked, smiling and holding out a hand to his lover.  
  
Midnight nodded and took the Mage's peroffered hand. "I would love to, but you're taking me out tomorrow night..." He grinned as he was pulled into Jade's arms. "Draco, would you like to play chess in your room later?"  
  
"No thanks... We'd never actually get to play with Tony jumping around anyways," he said with a smile. He hid the disappointment deep within himself. 'I'm acting like a first year with a crush... he's a friend. Nothing more,' he thought, rising into the air slowly.  
  
Harry watched Draco as he was lead off by Jade who was saying something about making reservations. He couldn't help the small sigh that escaped his lips when he lost sight of Draco and he turned his attention back to the Mage at his side.  
  
"Are you okay?" Jade asked, slipping an arm around Harry's waist.  
  
"Yeah, I'm good, just tired...I have a question..." he said looking over at Jade and stopping.  
  
"The answer is no," he teased, smiling. "Especially if it involves kissing Aqua again."  
  
Harry laughed after a moment. "No, no more kissing Aqua. I just wanted to know if your fall over from beauty of my eyes..." we whispered softly.  
  
Jade laughed. "Yes. I'd die," he teased, shaking his head. "Come on, love. Dinner's already started and I'm hungry."  
  
Harry nodded and looked back slightly before shifting his shoulders and catching up with Jade. "What's for dinner Teddy?" he asked softly.  
  
"Roast Beef, Ham, and this lovely house elf potato specialty thing.... It's really good," he said, taking Harry's arm. "Harry, why are you wearing a trainee jacket?" he asked, a puzzled expression on his face.  
  
Midnight blinked and looked down before chuckling and pausing to take it off. "Draco and I were flying and I guess I forgot that he was a trainee for a moment there..." He smiled and folded the jacket over his arm. "Shall we continue?"  
  
"Hopefully. Otherwise I'll die of starvation," Teddy teased, touching his lips tenderly to Harry's.  
  
"If you keep kissing me like that we'll never get to dinner..." He said softly wrapping his arms around the magenta haired War Mage's waist.  
  
"Suddenly, the only thing I'm hungry for anymore is you..." Jade said quietly, picking Harry up and carrying him to the castle.  
  
"Drake! Guess who's here!" Tony giggled as he bounced over to his roommate.  
  
"Mr. Turtle?" Draco guessed absently, looking in the glossary of his potion's textbook.  
  
"No!" Tony shouted getting closer to the other blonde. "He's already here..." he said as if Draco were the most stupid creature on the face of Tony's own little world.  
  
"War Mage Midnight came to see you, and just in time for me to go to...I don't know what I'm going to go do, but I'm going to go do it!" He said as he bounced off, 'Mr. Turtle' firmly in his arms.  
  
"Have fun.....," Draco replied, jotting down a note and flipping back to his page, not really listening to Tony's cheerful ramblings.  
  
Midnight chuckled softly as he stood at the end of the trainee's bed. "Am I going to have to take off my cloths again or are you actually going to pay attention this time?"  
  
Draco looked up and laughed. "Well, you can strip, but I might have to ravish you on my potions essay... and Snape might not like that..." he said with a grin.  
  
"Don't tempt me 'Drake' I'll do it...I've walked though the Mage head quarters naked, I'm not afraid to strip in front of you. But after you homework of course." Midnight said with a deep laugh as he moved over to the bed and pushed his loose black hair behind his ear.  
  
"It's not really homework... yet. I just have a feeling what Snape is going to ask for his next essay and I figured that I'd get a start on it now," Draco said, putting the parchment away and sitting up. "So, what brings you to my humble surroundings?"  
  
"Boredom?" He asked with a smile. "My dinner reservations were canceled due to a group of fourth years and a fire fairy that will never forgive them..." he said with laugh as he smoothed down his black knee length button down sleeve less shirt with silver buttons and loose black silk pants. He looked down at his silver Chinese slippers and blushed. "I was wondering if you'd take me flying again..."  
  
Draco stood and grabbed his shoes. He slipped on the white foot coverings over his white socks with his white pants and white shirt. "I do believe I'm missing my jacket," he said, smiling at Harry. "Can't go flying without it to lend to a swooning passenger."  
  
"Shut up Trainee, or you'll find yourself outside in the rain holding buckets of rocks..." He chuckled as he walked out of the room and winked as he threw the blonde his white jacket. "Are we going?"  
  
Draco pulled on a warm white sweater and grabbed his broom. "Of course," he said, smiling and falling into step beside the Mage. "Wouldn't want to end up holding rocks in the rain..."  
  
"That's actually Jade's favorite method of punishment, he never really got over it When Aqua made him, a full mage, stand out in the rain for two days. Never did tell her it was me that made him kiss her, but I think she knew regardless..." He said with a laugh. "My punishments are much worse..."  
  
"Kiss Aqua? I do believe I'd rather die..." Draco said, smiling and mounting his broom. He hovered a few feet off of the ground and offered Harry his hand up.  
  
"Well, we were rather drunk at the time..." Midnight said as he took Draco's hand and swung up behind him, quickly wrapping his arms around the blonde's waist and laying his head on the broad back before him.  
  
Draco rose into the twilight sky, slowly beginning to circle the pitch. "Sounds like loads of fun... Although I don't ever want to know what she would've done to you if you'd been caught..." he said, smiling as he laid his hands over Harry's and squeezed them gently.  
  
"Seeing as I was still a trainee, I don't want to know either..." Harry laughed. "We are very simple people. I'm so glad Dumbledore gave me to them..."  
  
Draco nodded. "It's made you a much stronger person... though... of course I still know how to get under your skin and piss you off," he said, mock arrogance in his voice.  
  
"Yes, but its getting under my cloths that you're having a problem with..." He said with a chuckle as he shivered slightly.  
  
"Though oddly enough I have no problems with getting you under mine," he retorted, slipping his jacket over Harry's shoulders and helping him into the sleeves. "Makes you wonder..." He turned his body slightly and smiled at the Mage.  
  
"That it does..." Harry laughed and held the jacket around him tighter. "Funny thing is when I was a trainee I was hardly out of Aqua's eyesight, but I still managed to get into more trouble with my clothing than anything else..."  
  
"Or lack there of?" Draco said, smiling and leaning back slightly to shield the Mage from the wind more.  
  
"No actually, I was usually to tired after a full day of training to do anything like that." He said softly, nuzzling Draco's back. "I was one of the quickest to graduate the council had ever seen."  
  
"Impressive," Draco said, bringing Harry's hand to his lips and kissing it softly. "Very impressive." He lowered the Mage's hand back to his waist and stroked it softly. "What is training like?"  
  
Harry blushed and smiled. "Hard, rough, everyday I was learning something new. Hand-to-hand one day, daggers the next, potions, charms, advanced transfiguration, astrology, astronomy, I learned everything. I learned how to throw a knife into a mans throat from fifty feet away in twenty minuets and have never missed since then."  
  
He stretched his fingers over Draco's firm stomach and smiled again. "I ran and jogged and did push ups, pull up and, everything in between. I studied until two in the morning and woke up at four to train. It was hell...I loved it, but wouldn't do it again for anything." He laughed.  
  
Draco shivered slightly at the sensations that ran up and down his spine. "Do you know what my training will be like?" he asked to distract himself from his body's demands.  
  
"For a full Seer mage, you'll most likely be working with the cards and crystal ball, as well as water gazing, fire gazing, predicting the future from the stars...that sort of thing." Harry shrugged and sighed. "I've never taken an interest in Seer Mages..."  
  
Draco nodded. "I can see why... the training sounds rather boring..." he said with a laugh. "I think I'll waste away to a pile of limp arms and loose all the muscles that I've worked so hard for."  
  
"You'd better not," Harry said as he trailed his fingers over Draco's abs. "I like you just the way you are. Quidditich has done well for you..."  
  
Biting his lip, Draco shivered again. "Thank you... I do most of what you just told me that you did for your Mage training. Except of course the knife throwing. I've never learned how to do that."  
  
"Be glad your specialty doesn't teach that. I can do a lot more frightening things..." Midnight whispered dangerously. "Hey, Is that Ron and Hermoine? Out after curfew?"  
  
Draco looked and immediately spotted the pair walking down towards the lake. He rose a single perfect eyebrow. "They're a couple now. It makes you sick the way they moon all over each other. I'm all for a bit of romance now and then... but that's just ridiculous." Draco shook his head. "I heard that she's already pregnant."  
  
"Oh you're kidding..." He laughed. "Fly down, I want to surprise them. I am a teacher after all and rule braking of any kind should be quickly remedied..."  
  
With a small, quiet chuckle, Draco slowly approached the pair. He hovered a few feet above them and grinned back at Harry.  
  
Midnight shrugged out of the jacket and lay it over the back of the broom as he jumped off of the broom and landed with making a noise. He quickly smoother down his outfit and cleared his throat. "Mr. Weasly, Miss. Granger, may I inquire as to why you are out of the castle at such an hour?"  
  
Draco remained completely silent, as he bit his lip.  
  
Ron turned cherry red as he turned around to face the War Mage. "I... um....I was... I mean we were..." he stumbled.  
  
Midnight rose his eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. "Miss. Granger would you care to try and explain while your...boyfriend continues to stutter as bad as a rusting carburetor?"  
  
"I lost my textbook for potions and Ron was helping me look for it, War Mage Midnight," she said, squeezing Ron's hand to shut him up.  
  
"Ah...I see...that's very helpful of him. I didn't think you were that careless with your books... But I suggest just looking for it in the morning least I take off more points than the five a piece for being out after curfew. Be your...excuse hold water or not..." Midnight said with a raise of his eyebrow. "Go on..."  
  
Ron quickly pulled his girlfriend away from the Mage, disappearing over a rise to the castle quickly.  
  
Draco landed and laughed quietly. "That was the funniest thing I've seen since Filtch was hung from the ceiling in the Great Hall by his underpants," Draco said, grinning.  
  
"I believe I missed that one...must've been after I left." Harry said as he wiped a tear way from his eye. "That shouldn't've been funny, they were my friends..."  
  
At that, Draco rose an eyebrow. "Why not? They've become rather... odd lately. I really do think that Granger is in a delicate condition," he said, taking a small step towards Midnight. "Besides, if you can't laugh at your friends, then whom can you laugh at?"  
  
"You enemies?" He asked with a laugh as he stepped closer to Draco's body heat. "tell me fifth and sixth year..."  
  
"Would you like to fly while I tell you?" Draco asked quietly, staring into Midnight's silver eyes. 'I could faint for beauty of those eyes...' he thought, feeling as if he was drowning in their depths.  
  
"Alright," Harry whispered back, gazing into Draco's ice blue eyes, feeling as if he were rooted to the ground by the intensity of the blonde's eyes.  
  
Draco tore his eyes away and mounted his broom, waiting for Harry to get on it behind him. He smiled at the Mage, holding out his hand. "Shall I tell you every detail, or only the interesting parts?" he asked, moving forward slightly to compensate for the Mage's slight weight on his broom.  
  
Harry smiled and swung around to the front of the broom, pushing Draco back slightly as he smiled at hi and put on the white jacket. "Interesting parts."  
  
Draco leaned back slightly and guided the broom back to the pitch where he started circling again, using a route he could have flown in his sleep. "Well, at the beginning of fifth year... a very interesting boy at our school came up missing. Dumbledore announced that he was being taken for "special training." I came out of the closet and began dating all of the available males in the school, much to the severe disapproval of my father. My mother got apoplexy when she found out that I wasn't going to give her any grandchildren. Weasly became the Gryffindor seeker, and I do believe that was it.  
  
"In sixth year, I decided to go silent for an entire year due to circumstances that shall remain nameless. Granger and Weasly became perfects, and, if the rumors are correct, they ended up snogging in the Prefect's bathroom. Very unpleasant business that.... Dumbledore was threatened with a severe beating, Filtch was hung from the Great Hall's ceiling by Peeves, and the Weasly twins left school. Snape was threatened with his job for some business with a student... I heard it was a Slytherin that he'd been doing for YEARS, though.  
  
"And that's all. All the good parts," Draco said, smiling.  
  
Harry laughed and pushed his hair behind his ear. "Who was the Slytherin? Is the Gryffindor team still leading and why was the old bat threatened?"  
  
"A seventh year named Justin Macriele. The Gryffindor team is now the lowest ranking team the school has ever seen. They haven't won a game since you played. He tried to defend Snape in the nasty bit of business with the student," Draco replied, resisting the urge to run his hands through Midnight's hair.  
  
"The kid must've been really bad in potions to be sleeping with Snape. Although toss him in the shower and scrub his down with lava soap and I might think about it...if I was desperate and he was the last man on earth..." Midnight said as he laughed and winked at the trainee. "But I have better taste and my sights set on someone else..."  
  
"Really? I didn't know you liked Greg that much..." he said, tilting his head to the side and contemplating Midnight's face. "Although... he does have a very nice chest."  
  
"Oh yes," Midnight said sarcastically. "Great chest, for a brick wall...with a boyfriend about his size." He shook his head. "I'm insane, but not that insane."  
  
"Bookends?" Draco teased, stretching and looking at the rising full moon. "Look.... It's a full moon out tonight."  
  
Harry looked up and smiled softly. "So beautiful...I love the night time..."  
  
"Hence your name?" Draco asked, genuinely curious. He looked over at Harry and felt his breath catch in his throat at how beautiful the Mage really was.  
  
"Hm?" Harry shifted his gaze back to the blonde in front of him. "That's part of it. I never really thought about what my name was going to be... they asked me and it just came out. I think I also chose my name in memory of everything that's happened. I left with Jade to became a Mage at midnight, I 'defeated' Voldermort around midnight, it just seemed appropriate..."  
  
Draco smiled and tried to hide the hunger that was building in him. "It's getting late... We've both got classes in the morning. Shall we go in?" he asked, reaching out and gently taking one of Midnight's hand's in his own.  
  
Midnight nodded, "If we must, I do have training in the morning...unfortunately..." he sighed and gazed up into Draco's eyes.  
  
Draco closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he slowly wrapped his arms around Harry's waist. He drew the boy closer and softly pressed his lips to the Mage's, questioningly.  
  
Harry sighed softly and melted under the blonde's hands. A random thought in the back of his mind told be this wasn't right, but he silenced that thought and smiled.  
  
Slowly, Draco pulled away from Harry. "We should be going," he said, clearing his throat. "Jade will be looking for you." He began to descend, slowly circling lower and lower. When they landed, he dropped his broom and pulled Midnight into his arms again, kissing him softly.  
  
"True..." Harry whispered, kissing Draco again, stepping closer to his body.  
  
As if of their own free will, Draco's hands roamed over Harry's back, memorizing the lines of muscles and bones. He deepened the kiss slowly, teasing Harry's lip with the tip of his tongue.  
  
"Mmm... we should get in..." Harry moaned softly as he wrapped his arms around Draco's neck and pulled him closer.  
  
Draco shivered and slid his arm around the Mage's hips, drawing their bodies so close that not even a molecule of air could slip through. "Harry..." he whispered, slipping his tongue into the Mage's mouth and gently exploring his warm, welcoming depths.  
  
Harry moved his hands to the side of Draco's face and stroked his cheek gently as he twined his tongue with the blonde's slightly larger one.  
  
Draco heard a loud, tormented groan. His eyes opened when he realized that it was coming from him.  
  
"MIDNIGHT!" he heard Jade's now familiar voice calling.  
  
Immediately, Draco broke off and pulled away from Harry. "I'm sorry..." he said, turning away and grabbing his broom.  
  
Midnight coughed and straightened his hair before turning Draco around and kissing him again. "I'll see you later," with that he ran off to Jade who was just entering the Quidditich field.  
  
"Jade...I'm here...I'm sorry..." He laughed and crashed into Jade, flinging his arms around the older Mage's neck.  
  
Jade laughed and spun him around. "Well... it's lovely to see you too..." he said, smiling down at the Mage. He chuckled as he ran his hands over the trainee coat on Midnight's back. "Well well... are we going to play the naughty trainee and the evil War Mage tonight?"  
  
"Didn't we play that when I actually was a trainee?" Midnight asked with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "I was looking at the stars and Brushfire's trainee lent me his coat again..."  
  
Jade chuckled and kissed Midnight softly. "Mmm... lucky stars..." he said, sliding his hand over Harry's bottom and cupping it gently.  
  
"Let's get back to my room and see what else is lucky tonight..." Midnight said as he took Jade's hand and smile sweetly.  
  
With a laugh, Jade followed his passionate lover into the castle, slipping an arm around the Mage's waist.   
  
Draco returned to his room about midnight and quietly set his broom down. He smiled at Tony as he slept. 'He almost looks quiet...' he thought, shaking his head and stripping down to his white cotton boxers and climbing into bed. He laid on something lumpy, and pulled 'Mr. Turtle' out from under his back. With another smile, he held it close and stared up at the canopy overhead. He was right.... He could still feel Midnight's hands around his waist.  
  
Tony giggled as he crept up to his sleeping roommate. "Drake..." he said softly. "Drake...-wait..." Tony's sharp eyes zoned in on a green lump in Draco's arms and gasped. "Mr. Turtle!" With that the normally hyper active, yet sweet boy screamed and jumped onto the blonde's bed, grabbing his plushie and fwaping at Draco at the same time. "Mine mine mine mine!!!!"  
  
"Bloody hell!!!" Draco yelled, sitting up and pushing his roommate off of him. He tossed the turtle across the room, hoping Tony would follow. "Sorry! I thought you left him on my bed for me to sleep with! I'm sorry!!"  
  
Tony leapt across the room and caught is plushie out of the air, hugging him to his chest tightly. Blinking he looked at his friend and tilted his head. "I did? Oh...ok then..." He smiled and held out the turtle. "Here you go..."  
  
Draco flopped back onto the bed. "Too early... too early... "he mumbled, rubbing his hands over his face and sighing. "No thank you, Tony. I'm up now..." He crawled out of his bed and walked to the bathroom, turning the water on warm.  
  
"Its not to early, to early is when the War Mages get up, they've been up for three hours already..." Tony said softly as he giggled and bounced to his wardrobe to get dressed. "Its time for breakfast, War Mage Midnight is there already..."  
  
"Lovely..." Draco replied absently, thinking of the lecture he was going to get from Brushfire for missing his training this morning. "I think I'll skip breakfast today..."  
  
"Nope, not aloud to skip breakfast, you missed it all weekend, no missing it today, want people to ask what's wrong?" Tony asked as he pulled his shirt on and nodded at his appearance.  
  
Draco laughed as he got into the shower. "I missed every meal this weekend. People are already asking me what's wrong and those who aren't think I'm on some weird diet," he replied, stepping into the shower and grabbing the soap.  
  
"You're still going," Tony said as he got onto his bed and smiled.  
  
"What if I'm not hungry?" Draco replied, rinsing the soap off and reaching for the bottle of shampoo.  
  
"Did I ever say you had to eat?" Tony asked as he bounced alittle and began to count his fingers and toes.  
  
Draco rinsed his hair and stepped out, grabbing a towel. He wrapped it around his waist and walked into his room, shaking his head at his roommate. "Does it count if I still have a potion's essay to finish?" he asked, trying to find an excuse not to go to the Great Hall and see Pansy's knowing looks and Greg's concerned one's.  
  
"I'm insane Draco, not stupid. I know that that essay isn't due till next week." The blonde trainee smiled. "Now get dressed and lets go. You're going to have to see them in classes anyways...might as well get it over with now..."  
  
Draco sighed and opened his wardrobe to retrieve a pair of cotton boxers. He slipped them on and turned to face Tony. "Why?" he asked while grabbing a pair of pants and pulling them on.  
  
"Because they're you friends..."He said with a frown. "Loosing friends and having to make new ones is never fun...I should know, I've been training so long that I've seen a lot of trainees come through and graduate and never talk to me or play with me again. Best keep the friends you have because you're going to miss them..."  
  
Draco sighed and pulled on a cotton T-shirt. He grabbed some white ankle socks and pulled on his shoes. "Fine. I'll go to breakfast with you..." he said, sighing and grabbing his school bag.  
  
"Yay!" Tony said with a bright smile as he bounced off his bed and stood by the door.  
  
Draco smiled and shook his head. He walked with Tony to the Great Hall where Tony bounded up the isle to his brother's table. Shaking his head, he found an empty seat and slowly munched a piece of dry toast while revising his potion's essay.  
  
"Hey you," Midnight said as he leaned over Draco and kissed his cheek, his hair flowing around Draco's shoulder and shielding them until he sat down. "What are you working on?"  
  
"The potions essay that Snape is going to assign tomorrow," he replied, smiling at Harry and kissing his cheek in return. "Sleep well?"  
  
"Yes, thank you." He laughed and yawned softly. "Until four when I was woken up by Quicksilver singing 'Ole Mc'Donald' in Latin..."  
  
Draco chuckled and grabbed a second piece of toast. "Sounds like fun... bet Jade didn't like it too much, though," he said, looking back to his potion's essay to hide he hurt in his eyes.  
  
"Oh...he slept in his room tonight. I think he tired of being woken up in cruel ways by Quicksilver. Or it could be that he just remembered that I have a pet snake...one of the two..." Midnight said with a chuckle as the snake hissed it agreeance and tightened around his waist.  
  
Draco smiled and looked down at the black and silver snake wrapped around Midnight's waist. "Well hello there. It's lovely to make your acquaintance," he said, half bowing respectfully to the snake.  
  
Midnight chuckled and smiled at the blonde. "I believe she likes you..."  
  
"What kind of snake is she?" Draco asked, pleased that Midnight's pet liked him.  
  
"She has no true type because she was just one of Quicksilver's shocking wake up calls. But that's what makes her special. Her name is Lotus..." Harry replied, pleased that Draco liked her so much. "I love snakes...always have...not that anyone would like to hear that..."  
  
"May I pet you, Lotus? You seem to have some of the softest scales I've ever seen..." Draco said, smiling down at the snake. "I've always been fascinated with them. I think that's part of the reason that I'm in Slytherin."  
  
Harry chuckled when Lotus looked at him and curled her way up his body and down his arm until her head was in his palm, most of the rest of her body was still curled around his waist. She hissed at Draco. "She says you may touch her but she reserves the right to bite you at will..."  
  
Draco smiled and gently stroked the snake's delicate head. "I was right... she does have some of the softest scales I've ever felt in my life. Very beautiful," he said, smoothing his hand down her neck and over her body. Suddenly, he shivered and closed his eyes, pulling his hand away.  
  
A snake was squeezing the life out of Tony while he was force to sit there and watch. "No!" he screamed, trying to get to his roommate before it was too late.  
  
"Beautiful, isn't she?" a cold voice hissed in his ear.  
  
Draco shivered again and reached for his glass of juice, sighing quietly.  
  
Lotus hissed at Draco then turned and hissed at her caregiver as she wound herself around Midnight's waist again. Harry coughed and blushed before beginning to eat.  
  
"What did she say?" Draco asked softly, looking over at the boy and noticing his blush.  
  
"Oh, nothing memorable..." He said smiling at the trainee, "Just a passing comment..."  
  
Draco smiled and bowed to the snake. "I'm sorry, Lotus, but I'm afraid that I have to go. I'll see you later, Midnight," the blonde said, standing and turning to go to Aqua to tell her of his latest vision.  
  
Harry sighed when the bell rung and gently stroked Lotus's body before he grabbed his backpack and headed off to Potions.  
  
Draco sat down in an empty classroom and told Aqua about his vision. "I thought you might want to know..." he said, sighing softly.  
  
"And this was just after you touched Harry's pet...could you see the snake...what did it look like..." She asked softly.  
  
"It was all black with shining red eyes," Draco replied, shivering as his headache returned almost as bad as it had been a few days before  
  
"Go to classes child. Forget this and we will deal with it...I thank you..." The tall War Mage stood and smoother her elegant blue dress.  
  
Draco stood. "Don't let anything happen to Tony. He's a very sweet, innocent person. Promise me," he said, staring into Aqua's unusual eyes.  
  
"The young Spirit Mage in training is related to Midnight Spirit Mage, thus falls under his protection. As Midnight's family, we will also protect his lover's brother to the best of our ability..." Aqua said as she walked out of the room.  
  
Draco sighed softly and walked down to potions lost in thought. He opened the door quietly and pulled out his caldron and books, looking to the chalkboard to see what potion was being made today.  
  
"And that's why fish don't have feet..." Came a insane giggle from behind Draco.  
  
Draco turned and looked back at her, accidentally cutting his finger instead of the root he was preparing. "Ow..." he mumbled, going back to his potion and shaking his head.  
  
"Hi Draco," Quicksilver giggled. "Jade sent me away...told me to come get Midnight because I was bothering the class and Midnight knows more than me...do you think that's true?" She asked with a pout.  
  
"Of course not. You probably know lots more than me," he said, smiling at the Mage. She reminded him a lot of Tony.  
  
Quicksilver paused and then giggled again and nodded. "Its true, I do, and I know more than Midnight. I was in training for a lot longer, they just liked him more...I still know more."  
  
"I'd love to learn from you. You're a very nice person," Draco said, smiling at the Mage.  
  
Quicksilver shook her head. "Nope nope nope. I'll admit while I was in training for longer, it was Midnight that helped me pass...Do you know I'd been there for more than six years and he come in and graduates in less than a year. Dragon Tamer was so proud. Its sad that he didn't get to see Midnight's ceremony..." She shrugged and went back to looking at the florescent pink potion.  
  
"Who was Dragon Tamer?" Draco asked, mixing his potion slowly until it began to glow softly.  
  
Quicksilver looked up from the mixture in the caldron that was now turning a swirling blue. "Dragon Tamer? He was on of the high council members that helped Midnight through his training. He turned into Midnight's grandfather figure. He was very proud when Midnight was announced as the next War Mage but died the night before. As a gift he gave Midnight his colors and told him his real name."  
  
Draco nodded, knowing that he'd just learned something very important about the Mage. He sighed and went back to his potions, knowing he was wrong for loving the Mage so much, but not really caring. He remembered the day that he'd upset Midnight and he'd gone to write Dragon Tamer. 'He must've been a Fire Mage,' Draco thought, remembering how Aqua had said that he'd needed to burn the letter. 'I can't love him, though.. he's a full Mage and I'm nothing but a trainee.... It's not supposed to happen. Why won't my feelings let me act like a normal boy?'  
  
He remembered how good Midnight's muscular body had felt under his hands. He liked men better than women because he didn't have to be too careful with them. They were stronger. He'd tried to have a girlfriend once. When she'd kissed him and started to take off his robes, Draco had smiled politely and refused her. That's when he knew that he was gay. He didn't like the way a girls body felt. It was too soft... Midnight's body was everything he liked in a man. Lean, hard muscles that spoke of the hours of training that he'd put into his own physique. Lean, narrow hips and a strong, flat chest. A female's chest just got in the way in his opinion. He didn't see what other boys saw in them. They were for feeding children. Nothing else. Men were better company, in bed and out.  
  
When the bell rang, he quickly finished his potion and gave a flask to Snape, apologizing for being late to class.  
  
Draco hurried out the door, still thinking of Midnight's body.  
  
I know, I know....its getting more and more detailed, but I warned everyone that this was Yaoi...thank you for still reading and I'll see you next chapter,  
  
Forever Loyal,  
Kat == and Vogel 


	10. A War Mages Path chapter 10

Chapter 10   
  
A week passed with out anything-profound happening. Quicksilver continued to be her normal bouncy self while Tony spent more and more time with his brother in complete silence. It was on Monday morning the following week that all the mages learned why.  
  
"You mean the trainee is graduating?" Midnight asked as he smiled proudly at the young blonde. "I'm very proud of you child. "  
  
Draco smiled at his roommate and gave him a quick hug. "Congratulations, Tony!" he said, inexplicably proud of his roommate and best friend.  
  
Tony giggled and bounced slightly. "I get to wear colors again!"  
  
"What colors will you choose?" Draco asked, smiling.  
  
"Cream and yellow." Tony said automatically. Smiling brightly and practically beaming when his brother hugged him. "I get to leave and go before the council tomorrow."  
  
Draco nodded, his smile fading slightly. He'd grown used to seeing his roommate all the time. It was going to be lonely now without him. "Will you come back here?" he asked, voice slightly quieter than before.  
  
"If the council say I can. I might be but in the back and be researching until I find a mate...that all we Spirit Mages are really good for until we can bring out our powers." Tony said as he smiled at his roommate. "Don't worry, can't ever have another roommate, no one would want me."  
  
Draco looked comically horrified. "Don't say that! You're a wonderful roommate. Besides, every time that I feel sad, you use your powers to make me all happy and giggly..." he teased, smiling again.  
  
Midnight laughed and tightened his hold around Sonar. "I pray you find your mate quickly child. No one wants to be stuck researching all their life..."  
  
Draco nodded in approval and kissed his roommate gently on the forehead. "I'm keeping 'Mr. Turtle.' Then you'll have to come back and get him," he said, completely serious.  
  
Tony looked ready to burst into tears until he realized that he could have him back later. "Ok!"  
  
Midnight chuckled and watched the young trainee. "I remember the day before I graduated. I was so scared..."  
  
Jade kissed the top of Midnight's head. "I remember that too... it was quite funny to watch you pace around the room all night..." he teased, kissing the Mage's ear and smiling at Sonar.  
  
Sonar smiled back at the magenta haired mage and watched as his mate smiled and snuggled deeper into the older Mage's arms.  
  
"Yes, but you and Quicksilver helped me quite a bit." Harry chuckled. "You by holding me after Quicksilver chased me out of our room by screaming and throwing things at me..."  
  
Draco's smile faded slightly at the tender look that was exchanged between the two Mages. He turned back to Tony and shrugged, his smile becoming sardonic.  
  
"The funniest part was when she threw that live fish at you... where she got it, I'll never know..." he said, grinning and stroking Midnight's back softly.  
  
"I'll never tell..." Quicksilver said with a laugh as she continued to braid her white pigtails with gray ribbon.  
  
"You still have a good chance..." Tony whispered. "Don't give up on him...promise me you won't. Never stop fighting." He said, oddly serious for once.  
  
Draco sighed and pulled the Spirit Mage into his arms. "I don't know what I'll do without you, Tony," he said, hugging him tightly but not promising anything.  
  
"Promise, promise, promise..." Tony said, smacking Draco's arm with each word.  
  
With a laugh, Draco captured Tony's hands. "Only if you promise not to mate without me there. I want to check this character out...."The blonde said with a raise of his eyebrow.  
  
Tony giggled and nodded. "Ok, I promise, Now Promise me..." He scowled.  
  
"I'll try and that's the best I can give you," Draco said, nodding to his roommate. "Would you like me to help you pack?"  
  
"Nope, I'm already packed...Sonar helped me." He grinned and bounced slightly. "His heart isn't won yet, they've just been together for a long time. About a month after he got there actually...that's when Jade wanted him and began to seduce him..."  
  
Draco blushed and looked at the Mages. "I know... Well, when are you leaving?" he asked, smiling overbrightly.  
  
"Tonight or tomorrow..." The blonde nodded. "Whenever Sonar wants to take me..."  
  
Draco looked at the small Spirit Mage and nodded. "Would you like to sit next to me at dinner?" he asked, not really wanting Tony to leave him, but knowing it was inevitable.  
  
"Ok, you've never asked me to sit with you before..." Tony said as he looked over to his brother and found that he was to busy holding Midnight's feet down for Quicksilver to tickle him.  
  
"Well, I always knew that you'd be waiting for me in the room when I got back. I'm going to miss you, Tony," Draco said, smiling at the boy. "You're too odd to forget."  
  
"Thank you," Tony said brightly. "I think..."  
  
Draco laughed and hugged him again. "Well, let's go to dinner. I'm very hungry." Draco offered Tony his arm and grinned.  
  
Tony bounced up and took the blonde's arm. "I feel like a male Cinderella...only I guess I'd be Cinderello ...or...something like that..." He said with a smile.  
  
Draco laughed and led the blonde out of the room towards the Great Hall, trying to forget about Midnight for a single evening but knowing that it would be impossible.  
  
Draco looked around his room and sighed. Tony had left for the council after dinner, and the smallish room felt very empty and silent without his bouncy roommate there. 'I hope he's okay,' he thought. He grabbed his broom and pulled on a warm sweater, Midnight still having possession of his jacket. Quietly, he headed out to the Pitch, knowing that sleep wasn't going to come easily that night.  
  
Harry stood in the middle of the Quidditich pitch and pulled Draco's white jacket tighter around his body as he watched the moon move slowly through the diamond encrusted black velvet sky. He took a deep breath a smiled as he took his hair out of the ribbon he had tied around it and sighed as it swirled around his body.  
  
Silently, Draco watched Harry from the sidelines. He mounted his broom and glided over to the boy. "Seems like I'm not the only one out this late, War Mage Midnight," he said softly, smiling at Harry.  
  
Midnight smiled and shook his head. "You should be in bed..."  
  
Draco shrugged and offered the Mage a hand up. "I should be a lot of things that I'm not, Harry," he said, turning his broom to give Midnight an easier access to the stick.  
  
Midnight smiled and took the offered had and got on, wrapping his arms around Draco's waist. "I agree..."  
  
Slowly, Draco rose into the air. "I couldn't sleep... Tony's only been gone for a few hours, but I already miss him. He's like the brother I never knew I wanted..." Draco said quietly, laying his hands over Midnight's. "My room just seems so empty without him..."  
  
"It happens like that...but he'll be back and bothering you again before you know it." Harry laughed. "And over the summer you'll go to the head quarters and finish you training. We most likely will never see each other again unless we are on the same mission, and the world will forget we ever existed." He said softly. "So is the life we lead."  
  
Draco lowered his head and looked at their joined hands. "And if I want to see you again?" he asked quietly, leaning back slightly to press himself more fully against the Mage's body.  
  
"You'd want to see me again?" Harry whispered as he moving to see Draco's face better.  
  
Draco looked into Harry's eyes and smiled sweetly. "If I didn't...I'd never be able to make you swoon again... And I'd never be able to look into your beautiful eyes or hear your laugh... Or even argue and fight with you...." He said. "And... if I never saw you again... I'd never taste your lips..." He leaned back and captured Harry's lips, knowing that he was addicted to the taste but not really caring.  
  
Harry gasped and moaned softly as he ran his hand up Draco's chest and curled his fingers in the white fabric.  
  
Draco turned around more fully and pulled Harry onto his lap, ignoring the fact that they were hovering about twenty feet off the ground. He slipped one hand under Midnight's shirt while using the other one to support him. He ran his hand over the flat, well-muscled chest and abdomen, exploring his body with the urgency of a starving man given his first meal in years.  
  
Harry groaned and drew in a deep breath as he smiled and pushed his body further into Draco's hand. Draco's hands seared his skin and felt as if they were leaving trails of fire everywhere he touched. Leaving one of his hands curled in the blonde's shirt, Midnight moved the other one to his back and began to stroke Draco's broad back softly.  
  
Draco sucked in a breath, clutching at Harry's skin. He turned Harry to face him, slipping one of the Mage's long, muscular legs on either side of his body. Suddenly, he remembered where he was and growled with frustration, pulling away from Harry. "We can't..." he said softly, his body throbbing with repressed need and desire. "We can't do this..." His voice was raspy as he tried to calm his body's frustration at being denighed the willing War Mage.  
  
"Why?" Midnight asked looking down to hide his disappointment.  
  
Draco lifted his chin and looked deeply into Midnight's eyes. "We can't because you're a Mage and I'm just a trainee. It's against the rules... and I don't want to get you in trouble. Plus, you have Jade and Sonar... and I just... I wouldn't want to share you, Harry. I would want you all to myself. It's one of my odd quirks that's kept me a virgin all these years. I don't want to share you, ever. When I take you, I want you to be mine forever. Not just for a day and then you go and someone else comes along that's mine for a day. I love you... and I respect you too much to treat you like that," he explained, his hands shaking slightly with need.  
  
Midnight sighed softly and gazed deeply into Draco's eyes. "No one's ever said that to me before...that's so sweet..." he reached up and touched Draco's face softly.  
  
With a laugh, Draco kissed Harry's forehead. "Don't swoon, now," he cautioned, looking down. He had drifted above one of the stands, and the point of one of the banners was directly below them. "As awe inspiring as I am...." He preened and grinned smugly, his old Malfoy arrogance in evidence.  
  
Midnight coughed and winked at the blonde. "We'll have to do this again when we're above the lake, we War Mages have impeccable balance..." With that Midnight moved and settled himself behind Draco once more.  
  
Draco smiled and flew a circuit above the lake. "What do you mean, Midnight? That if I throw you off, you'll just fly to the shore?" he asked, rocking side to side on the broom.  
  
"No," He said leaning up and nipping Draco's ear. "I mean if you want me in mid air, I can keep us on the broom in any position that you put me in..."  
  
Draco swallowed hard and clutched the broom tightly. "Really?" he asked, his voice emitting a vague squeak. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Really?" He slowly turned back to the pitch, knowing that he wasn't going to sleep tonight because of his hormones.  
  
"Yes really..." Harry answered with a smile. "Now, I didn't know you were still a virgin..."  
  
Draco blushed bright red and was thankful that Harry was behind him so that he couldn't see it. "Yes, I am... The last time someone tried...." He shook his head, remembering how Basil had tried to force him. "I just didn't want to."  
  
"Basil...tell me what happened..." Harry said softly, stroking Draco's chest to comfort him.  
  
Draco shrugged. "He tried to force me... I got away. When he tried again, I cursed him and left. Nothing too major," the blonde said, leaving out the horrible details of his attempted rapes. After the second time, he'd hidden in a classroom for weeks recovering from the terrible beating that Basil had given him. He'd gotten Dobby the House Elf to bring him food and help care for his wounds.  
  
Midnight frowned. "Yes, nothing major happened and that's why you disappeared of two weeks and didn't talk until this year. I know you're lying to me Draco..."  
  
"It's alright. I took care of it. Don't worry about me, Midnight," Draco said, kissing the Mage's hand softly. "It was last year. He'll never touch me again without my permission."  
  
Midnight nodded and lay his head on Draco's back. He didn't believe the blonde was truly all right and he intended to find out everything that happened from the source. Harry was just about to drift off into a comfortable sleep when a sharp pain filled howl sounded from the forbidden forest, causing a few birds to fly up from the trees.  
  
"What was that?" Midnight asked as his eyes scanned the area.  
  
Draco jumped and looked to the Forest. "I don't know... it sounded like Fang when he got his tail caught in the door of Hagrid's hut..." he said, flying lower and moving towards the forest slowly.  
  
"No...that sounded almost...werewolf...hurried up Draco, we could be to late..." Midnight said mentally glad that he'd worn a sleeveless shirt and shoes that gathered his pants tightly that night.  
  
"Harry.. we should get the other Mages," Draco said, his vision coming back to him. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you..."  
  
"I'll be fine, taking risks is what I do for a living. Now drop me off and go get Jade and Quicksilver, both of whom are in my room. Tell Jade to get Bloodlust and Aqua and guide them back to me..." He said with a tone of command.  
  
Draco held one of Harry's hands with his own. "No. I'm going with you," he said, flying into the trees and quickly dodging around all the branches.  
  
"No, Draco, you will go back and get the others. I won't have a training Seer Mage following me into danger. If you want to help, go get my team." Midnight said looking around for any more signs of disturbance.  
  
"No, I won't. In my vision you were alone. Either you come back with me to get everyone, or I stay with you. Take your pick," he said, voice firm. He wasn't going to loose Harry again so soon after finding him.  
  
"How about this, either you drop me off and go get my team, or I'll kill you, I think that's a good choice...don't you?" Midnight replied dangerously. "I may care for you an awful lot, I may miss you and regret it later, but you're getting in my way..."  
  
Draco stopped and lowered the broom to the ground. "It's your funeral," he said, stiffening and waiting for Harry to get off his broom. He felt anger boiling in him that the Mage wasn't listening to his very good advice about being alone in the Forbidden Forest.  
  
Midnight laughed and got off the Broom quickly kissing Draco before backing up a pass. "I'll see you later, I promise." He smiled brightly and began moving to move away from the blonde. "And I always keep my promises...now go get the others before I get mauled by a wild animal and killed..." With that he ran off and disappeared into the trees.  
  
Draco sighed. "Bye, Harry," he whispered, and turned back to the castle to get Jade and the rest.  
  
When he reached the castle, he didn't stop to get off his broom. Harry's life was at stake. He flew down to the dungeons and through doors, nearly decapitating a first year that got in his way. When he reached Midnight's room, he told the little girl what was happening and burst in.  
  
"Midnight's in trouble," he said, ignoring the fact that Jade wasn't alone in the bed.  
  
"When is Midnight not is trouble or trying to get himself killed?" Quicksilver asked as she yawned and sat up from her pale gray bed, looking like a ghost rising out of the mist.  
  
Draco growled and dismounted. "Look, all I know is that he's in real trouble. The death kind that's not a joke and if you don't move your ASS I'm going to kill you," he said calmly. He turned to Jade. "Well? Aren't you going to do something besides lay there like the lazy bastard you are?"  
  
Quicksilver moved out of bed and took off her socks as she moved towards Draco, pulling the hem of her white mid drift tank top and adjusting her pale gray Daisy Duke style boxers. "Ok, Lets go, Jade, go tell Aqua, and wake Bloodlust. I'll go save Midnight's skin..."  
  
Jade nodded and got out of bed, quickly pulling on a pair of jade green shorts and a magenta shirt as he left the room, jogging down to his own rooms.  
  
Draco led the way out to the grounds, jogging quickly. He thanked his years of training as he continued, sprinting as he came to the edge of the woods, his broom still held in his hands.  
  
"You wait here, I'll go in and see if I can help him..." Hellaine said as she quickly moved into the woods and called softly for her roommate.  
  
Draco followed her anyways, moving silently. He followed her until he heard Midnight scream off to his right. He mounted his broom and quickly flew through the trees, fear for Harry overriding his anger.  
  
Midnight ran from the hulking black figure chasing him and held his side to stop the blood that ran freely from the wound the creature had inflicted on his body. The tree branches caught his cloths and tore at his face as he stumbled ran from the thing behind him. His head felt like it was splitting open from the pain his hidden scar was sending though his body and Harry knew that the thing chasing him was a piece of Voldermort himself.  
  
'Come on...Jade, Quicksilver...Someone...' Harry mentally screamed as the black figure raked a set of razor sharp nails across his back. Midnight whirled around in went to throw one of his daggers at the creature but gasped when it leapt on him and sent them crashing down a steep slope.  
  
Midnight coughed as he reached for his dagger and slammed it up into what he guessed was the creature's eyes and lay gasping for breath as the creature died above him.  
  
Draco leaped off of his broom and ran to Harry, pushing the creature off of him. "Are you alright?" he asked, pulling Harry carefully into his arms.  
  
Midnight coughed and smiled softly. "Piece of cake..." coughing again, Midnight's world went blissfully black as he passed out from blood loss.  
  
"Quicksilver! I found him! He's over here!" Draco yelled, lifting Harry into his arms and cradling him carefully against his chest.  
  
"Is he alright?" She called as she slid down the slope to check him over, she held up a hand to stop the other mages from coming down as well.  
  
"No. He's badly hurt... Where should I take him?" Draco asked, holding Midnight with one arm as he reached for his broom.  
  
Quicksilver scanned her roommate and noted his external injuries. "Not as bad as last time...he'll be fine, lets get him to your hospital wing." She said as she moved back up the hill and gestured for Aqua and Bloodlust to stay and dispose of the thing that had attacked her roommate. "Make sure you get the knife back..." she said as she and Jade moved through the trees again. "Be careful of his side, We'll meet you at the infirmary..."  
  
Draco sighed softly and mounted his broom, knowing that his shirt was becoming soaked with Harry's blood. He slowly flew through the forest, trying not to jostle the Mage. He didn't dismount as he flew into the castle and up to the hospital wing.  
  
"Madame Pomfry? We need your help!" he called as he landed and climbed off his broom, knowing that Poppy never slept.  
  
"Yes?" The little witch called as she bustled out of her office and gasped. "Good gracious! Quickly Mr. Malfoy, getting him on the bed and help he get him out of these cloths...." She said hurriedly.  
  
Draco carefully lay Midnight on a bed and stopped Poppy's hand. "You have to swear that you'll never tell a soul what you see or hear tonight," he said, knowing Poppy would recognize her own healing over the boy's body.  
  
"Release my hands Mr. Malfoy or you'll wake up with out an Appendix." Poppy wrenched her hand from Draco's grip and continued to work.  
  
Draco held Midnight's hand as Poppy worked on him. 'Please don't die on me... Not when I just found you...' he thought, trying to give Harry some of his strength. When Poppy had him moved to a bed, Draco followed, never leaving his side. He sat in an uncomfortable hospital chair, his broom in the corner behind him.  
  
Jade walked forward and knelt next to Midnight as he took his hand and kissed it softly, ignoring Draco completely. "I'll see you when you wake up..."  
  
Draco watched him leave and resumed his silent vigil, one of Harry's hands clasped in his own. He shook himself awake twice and finally fell asleep as dawn was approaching.  
  
It was a bright morning when Midnight finally opened his eyes and found himself staring at a familiar white ceiling from his youth. "I hate this ceiling..." he mumbled as he looked to his right and found Jade holding one of his hands, looking to his left he smiled at a sleeping Draco holding the other.  
  
"Good morning, love," Jade said, kissing his forehead. "You were beginning to scare us."  
  
"I'm sorry," Harry whispered and tried to clear his throat. "How long have I been out?"  
  
"A week. We were about to ask Pomfry to wake you," he said, getting a glass of water and holding it to the Mage's lips. He supported Harry's head as he drank the cool liquid.  
  
Harry drank slowly and nodded when he'd had enough. "Thank you...have you both been with me this hole time?"  
  
"After the first night I came back and stayed when I realized that this wasn't just one of your normal scrapes with death," he replied, setting the glass down and sitting next to the bed.  
  
"Ah yes well..." Midnight chuckled softly and stretched. "What did I kill this time? And does everyone know who I am?"  
  
"It's all been kept very quiet. You killed a large werewolf that had been terrorizing the woods for weeks. No one has been allowed near you except Mages and Poppy. We sectioned off your bed. To the rest of the world, you are War Mage Midnight that came down with wizarding flu."  
  
Midnight nodded and smiled. "Thank you. When all of this is over I hope to never see this place again...I truly hate this ceiling..."  
  
Jade laughed and kissed his hand, waking Draco.  
  
Draco sat up straight and smiled at Midnight. "Hello there, sleeping beauty," he said, giving the Mage's hand a gentle squeeze. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Like I've just woken up a week after I was attacked by a large werewolf that was being controlled by Voldermort and killed him..." He laughed. "I feel great..."  
  
Draco smiled. "Well, at least you look better than you feel..." he said, smiling and stretching his sore spine. He'd just spent a week straight in the uncomfortable chair and had only left once to change out of his bloody clothes.  
  
"Thanks..." Harry said with a laugh as he squeezed Draco's had gently. "I told you I'd see you again...I always keep my promises..."  
  
Draco's smile became softer and gentler as he forgot that Jade was still there. "And I'm very glad that you do..." he said. "Now I can swoon at the beauty of your eyes..."  
  
Harry laughed and blushed lightly. "Promises promises...Thanks for trying to warn me, even though I wasn't going to listen anyways..."  
  
"Knowing you, you wouldn't listen to Merlin himself," Jade said, smiling and kissing Midnight softly.  
  
Draco gave Harry's hand a squeeze before he pulled it away. He wasn't going to compete with the older Mage for Harry's affection. If Midnight wanted him, he'd have to accept all of the things that Draco wanted out of a relationship. Draco knew deep down that Harry wasn't ready for that kind of a commitment. As sad as it made him to watch the Mage have his various partners, Draco was willing to wait no matter how long it took. He was a Malfoy. They were always very patient above all else.  
  
"Nice to know you know me so well...Who was with you when Draco came to get you?" He asked with a rise of his eyebrow.  
  
"You won't like it..." he said with a sheepish smile.  
  
"Most likely not..." Midnight said with a scowl. "There are only so many choices..."  
  
"Brushfire," Jade admitted, hanging his head and kissing Harry's hand again.  
  
Midnight rose his eyebrow higher and watched Jade kiss him. "And what in all things holy makes you think I want you to touch me at the moment?" He asked softly. "With the same lips you've been kissing that pink hair Seer Mage with..."  
  
"I'm sorry, Midnight.... It just happened. I was waiting for you and she... well.... It just happened," Jade said, resting his forehead on the Mage's hand.  
  
Harry sighed. "Jade, you'd better go before I forget that I love you...We will discus this later on this evening..." He said slowly, not looking at Jade and sitting up to prove that he was angry.  
  
Jade stood and nodded. "I'll see you later, love," he said, turning and leaving the hospital wing.  
  
Draco sat there and played with his hands, feeling elated that Jade had gotten himself in trouble but knowing that he should feel bad for him instead.  
  
Harry looked over to his once rival and sighed. "The really bad part is I know he doesn't love her, not even a tiny little bit...that's the really bad part..."  
  
Draco looked up at Harry and nodded. "It is kind of sad..." he said, trying not to grin with the knowledge that Jade was in trouble. 'Bad Draco, Bad,' he thought, mentally hitting himself.  
  
"Thank you for staying with me...you didn't have to..." Harry said as he slowly lay back down.  
  
Shrugging, Draco smiled at Harry. "I didn't want to loose you again, so I made sure that you didn't disappear or die on me... I wanted to be here when you woke up so I could give you a lecture on the dangers of going into the Forbidden Forest alone, but I seem to have forgotten it all when I looked into your eyes," he said, smiling at the Mage.  
  
Midnight smiled back softly. "I'll have to remember that next time I do something completely me...come here..." he said as he motioned for Draco to sit on the bed.  
  
Draco carefully sat next to Midnight, trying not to disturb him. He winced slightly as his rear woke up and he felt pins and needles stab him. "Pins and Needles," he explained, smiling.  
  
"I love that feeling, lets you know you're alive..." Midnight chuckled and he took Draco's hand in his.  
  
With a small smile, Draco raised Harry's hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "Personally... it drives me nuts... If I get it on my feet, I can't walk until it goes away. Very annoying," he replied, lowering Midnight's hand to the bed.  
  
"Tell me who came to visit me while I was out?" He asked, slowly moving out of the hospital bed and going into his bathroom, shutting the door behind him.  
  
"All of the Mages came to see you. A first year wandered in once, but I threatened to give her a swirlly so she left, and I believe Ms. Norris came in and growled at me once for being out past curfew," he said, speaking loudly enough so that Midnight could hear him.  
  
"I swear before I leave I'm going to kick that cat. Just once...really hard..." Harry said as he relieved himself and set about getting clean, thanking Merlin that the bathroom had a shower.  
  
Draco laid back on the bed and laughed really hard. It felt really good to laugh again. "I'll pay you..." he offered, yawning. He closed his eyes and smiled as he heard the shower. 'I'd kill for a shower about now...' he thought as he drifted off to sleep again.  
  
Midnight sighed happily when he finished his shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. Walking over to the mirror he was happy to see that the spell the Glamour Mages had placed on him was still intact. "Good, I'd hate to tell those girls that they had to repair the spells me..." he shivered at the thought.  
  
Draco shifted in his sleep, throwing one arm above his head and sighing quietly.  
  
Harry smiled when he walked out of the bathroom and saw the blonde trainee spread out on his bed. "So cute...where's a camera when you need it?"  
  
Draco's eyes opened and he smiled at Harry. "Not anywhere near me..." he mumbled, sitting up. "Mind if I use your shower? I haven't had one in about a week...."  
  
"I know, I can smell you from here Mr. Malfoy..." Midnight chuckled and looked around the room, spotting a duffel bag that he was sure Hellaine had brought up for him.  
  
"Thank you," Draco said, standing and walking to the bathroom. He quickly stripped, not even bothering with the door. He turned on the hot water and sighed happily. Finally.... Clean!  
  
Midnight pulled out the outfits in the duffel bag and frown when he noticed they weren't his cloths, but Jade's. 'Oh...this is great...' he thought sarcastically.  
  
Draco quickly finished his shower and stepped out, laughing when he realized that Midnight had the only towel. He shrugged and stepped out into the main room completely naked. He saw the Mage's frown, and sighed. "I'm sorry... I forgot to bring you up clothes... I'll go get you some," he said. "Besides, I forgot my own as well..." He smiled at Harry and started for the door.  
  
"Stay!" Midnight commanded, throwing him his towel and fanning his hair around his body to cover himself. "Wear these..." he said throwing Jade's cloths at him. "If him or any other mage questions you. Don't answer and tell them they are my orders."  
  
Draco looked at the clothes. "Not even if you paid me," he said, wrapping the towel around his waist and walking out of the room. "I'll be back with some clothes in a few minutes." He shut the door gently, striding past a few first years and giving them his best Malfoy glare that had them instantly look away.  
  
Harry looked at the cloths and set them on fire with a word, one of the many great tricks he'd learned from his old friend Dragon Tamer.  
  
Draco quickly walked into Harry's room and grabbed a loose pair of black pants and a black poet's shirt with silver snakes embroidered around the hem. He fished around in the bottom until he found a pair of black socks and some fuzzy black slippers. He saw Lotus coiled at the bottom of the wardrobe and gently picked her up.  
  
"I'm taking you to Midnight. He'll want to see your lovely face after being away for so long," he said, smiling and draping the snake over his arm with the rest of the Mage's clothing.  
  
When he went to his own room, he ignored how empty it felt and quickly slipped into a pair of white pajama bottoms and a white T-shirt. He put on a pair of slippers and quickly made his way back to the hospital wing, using a secret passage to cut the journey in half.  
  
After knocking, Draco entered and smiled at Harry. "Sorry it took so long, but I had to bring a friend," he said, holding up the large reptile.  
  
"Lotus..."Harry said as he moved forward and took the snake who instantly draped herself over Harry's shoulders and butted her head against his chest affectionately, hissing as him happily.  
  
Draco smiled and held out Midnight's clothes. "Do you need any help putting them on?" he asked, seeing the angry red wounds on the Mage's side and imagining how bad they must hurt.  
  
"No," Harry said with a smile. "I can get it, thank though..." He absently put on his pajamas and laughed when she moved out of his shirt and around his waist, then back up his chest to wrap around his shoulders and rest her head on his stomach. "Comfy?" Midnight asked with a smile and laughed when the snake nodded contentedly.  
  
Draco smiled and held out his hand. "Let's get you back to bed," he said, noting the tired lines around Harry's eyes.  
  
Harry nodded and slowly made his way back to bed. "Thank you, I'm surprised she wasn't here already, where was she?"  
  
"Stuck in the bottom of your wardrobe. I found her under a few layers of pants and one shoe," Draco said, covering Harry up and sitting back on the chair. He could have sworn that he'd worn grooves into the chair's hard surface with his rear.  
  
Lotus hissed and moved herself to coil on Harry's chest, all 6'ft. of her. She hissed unhappily and lay her head down again.  
  
"Don't worry my love," Harry whispered. "That just one more thing to talk to him about..."  
  
Draco gently stroked Lotus's head. "I'm sorry about your mistreatment. If I had known, I would have gotten you out much sooner," he said, stroking down her soft body.  
  
Lotus hissed and closed her eyes, knowing she was in for a long night.  
  
Slowly, Draco leaned back in the chair, holding one of Midnight's hands and yawning softly. "Good night, Midnight," he mumbled, falling asleep slowly.  
  
Harry didn't wake up until later that night when Jade picked up his hand and called his name. "What do you want?"  
  
"I came to see you," he said, laying his head on the bed next to Harry's side. When he saw Lotus, he pulled away and sat up on the chair, shuddering slightly. "I said that I'd come and see you later, so here I am."  
  
"I'm glad you came..." Harry said as he yawned and moved Lotuses mass to his legs so he could sit up.  
  
Jade smiled and kissed his hand. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner," he said, pulling his chair slightly closer.  
  
Draco shifted slightly in his chair and sighed quietly but didn't wake up.  
  
"It's alright, After Draco went a got me clothes I went right back to sleep." Midnight said, stroking Lotus's skin softly.  
  
Jade nodded and kissed Midnight's forehead. "I was really worried about you..." he said, giving Harry's hand a gentle squeeze.  
  
"I know, but why do you smell of Brushfire again..." He asked softly as all his anger diminished and left his hurt, emotionally and physically.  
  
"She cornered me in a classroom. I told her no, though," Jade said, blushing slightly.  
  
"How long..." He asked, looking up at Jade with wide silver eyes.  
  
"About four months..." Jade answered softly. "Ever since we needed to know about the defense system in the building on our last mission..."  
  
Midnight closed his eyes briefly as his anger mounted. "Four months?" he said slowly, raising his eyebrow to show his annoyance.  
  
"Yes, four months," he said, feeling anxiety knot in his stomach.  
  
"Four months..." Midnight mouthed as he nodded and looked down at his pet, stroke her soft body gently. "We've only been here for a month...at most...so you've been coming back and sleeping with me...after touching her..." Harry shuddered at the thought.  
  
"I'm sorry, Harry..." Jade said quietly. "It just happened...."  
  
Midnight looked up and gazed at the older Mage coolly. "How often?" and Jade's bewildered look, Midnight repeated his statement alittle louder. "How often were you with her?..."  
  
"Midnight.... Draco could wake up..." Jade hedged, not wanting to admit his infidelities. At the Mage's angry glare, he sighed. "At least twice a day..."  
  
Midnight looked up and stared at his lover. He opened his mouth to scream and tell Jade to leave him again, but no sound came out...he was to stunned.  
  
Jade held onto Midnight's hand, not wanting to let it go. "I'm sorry, Harry... At least I was honest with you! Please... don't send me away... I love you..." he said, moving closer to the bed. "I was just getting information from her..."  
  
"Did you even shower after you touched her? Or did you come to me right after wards as if nothing had happened? And what information were you getting from her that Twice a Day provided?" Midnight said in a shocked voice, his eyes still as wide as teacups.  
  
Jade decided it would be prudent not to answer the first few questions. "I was keeping the channels of information open. If she or anyone had a vision, she'd share it with me," he said, swallowing hard.  
  
Midnight scowled darkly. "I know how the system works Jade. Nothing worth getting from her could possible take twice a day. You could've just asked Bloodlust's lover, Predicion, to give you any information you wanted. She would've!...even They don't sleep together twice a day!" he said heatedly, not caring if Draco was asleep or not.  
  
"I'm sorry!" Jade said, moving to kneel next to the bed, still holding Harry's hand. "I'm sorry, Harry... If you want me to, I'll break it off right now..." He pressed his forehead to the bed, thinking of how angry Brushfire was going to be.  
  
Draco opened his eyes slowly. "Should I leave?" he asked quietly, not wanting to interrupt the two Mages argument. His eyes were heavy and his legs had fallen asleep an hour ago.  
  
Lotus reared up and hissed dangerously when she noticed the magenta haired Mage's closeness. Midnight nodded his head and hissed at her soothingly.  
  
"Jade," he said softly. "I am so angry right now...my vision is blurring again. I'd suggest going to Brushfire and getting as much from her as you can before you break it off...because you won't be touching me for a good long time..." Midnight's eyes flashed with anger as he stared at his lover.  
  
Jade sighed softly and stood, gently laying down Midnight's hand on the bed. "I'm so sorry, Harry..." he said, moving away from the snake coiled on the Mage's legs.  
  
"Oh and Teddy, darling..." Midnight called sweetly.  
  
Jade gulped slightly before turning back and looking to his lover. "Yes?" he asked softly, hand on the door.  
  
Draco shifted in his chair, trying to find a comfortable position without drawing the Mage's attention.  
  
"Never touch my pet again...least I put her in your bed while you're sleeping..." He said with a soft smile the told the world he was serious.  
  
Jade nodded and bowed to Midnight. "I'll see you later," he said, knowing better than to call Harry any of his pet names. He opened the door and quickly left, shutting it gently behind him.  
  
Draco moved his hand slightly around Harry's, wondering what he should do. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked quietly, biting his lower lip.  
  
"You leave and I may cry..." his voice quivered. "I still might..."  
  
Draco knelt next to Harry and kissed his hand softly. "Please don't cry, Midnight... If you cry I'll have to kiss all your tears away..." he teased, trying to keep him from crying.  
  
Harry half-smiled and half-sobbed. "Oh Draco...All I want to do is curl up in a ball and cry until all my problems are gone, but I can't..." he said weekly, holding Draco's hand tightly.  
  
Draco kissed his hand softly. "Why can't you?" he asked with confused expression. "Is it because you're supposed to be a tough War Mage?"  
  
Harry shook his head and drew in a quivering breath. "No...it's because I have a 6ft. 240lb. Snake on my lap that is stopping me from moving my lower body at all..."  
  
Draco laughed and kissed Midnight's cheek. He stroked Lotus's body and lifted her up to set her down gently next to the Mage's side. "Better?" he asked as he stroked Harry's hand with his thumb.  
  
Harry nodded pathetically and curled into a ball on his side, keeping a hold of Draco's hand and let the tears creep slowly down his cheek. "He never told me...never once...he was sleeping with her more than he slept with me and I never knew...I bet he didn't even wash before he was with me again..." He shivered. "I've always thought of myself as understanding...alliances are needed...its how we survive...but...that was just wrong. That wasn't an alliance, That was just out and out cheating..." he sobbed softly and held the blonde's hand tighter.  
  
Draco slipped his arm around the silver haired boy's shoulder and gently drew him close to his chest. He stroked Harry's back and kissed the top of his head, laying his cheek onto Midnight's soft hair. Draco let the Mage cry, not caring if his shirt got wet. "I'm so sorry... you deserve better treatment than that..." he whispered, making soothing circles on the Mage's back.  
  
"I've been with Jade since my training days...I never thought he'd do something like that...he loves me..." Harry hiccuped softly and buried his face in Draco's chest.  
  
Lotus hissed at her master's distress and slithered over his feet in a comforting gesture.  
  
Draco stroked Harry's back and kissed the top of his head again. He ignored the fact that his knees were beginning to hurt and that his feet were getting the pins and needles feeling. He gave Harry's hand a gentle squeeze, trying to reassure him. "If he really loved you he wouldn't have done that," he said, angry at the magenta haired Mage. "He's so stupid! He has one of the most wonderful people in the world in love with him and he sleeps with someone else! I should go and kick him really hard... right in his bum..." Draco held onto Midnight tighter and kissed the top of his head again. "I will... if you want me to."  
  
Midnight laughed and sat up slightly to look into Draco's eyes. "You think I'm in love with Jade?" at Draco's nod Midnight chuckled. "I wish I were in love with him, that would make what I'm feeling right now make more sense...no, I thought I was in love with him at one time, but as time went on I learned it was just a strong attraction. I love him in a way, but I've never been in love with him...I feel bad saying it, but it's true..."  
  
Draco nodded. "Maybe he's not in love with you.... Maybe he just sees what I see... a beautiful, confidant boy who has a wonderful sense of humor and who has swoon worthy eyes... Maybe he sees it and wants to have it to say that he does..." Draco said, smiling and brushing the tears off of Harry's cheeks with his thumb softly.  
  
"Do you think that's the case?" He asked softly, staring up into Draco's eyes and thinking about what he'd just said.  
  
Draco shrugged. "I don't know... maybe..." he said, leaning down and kissing Harry's eyelids gently. "But if he's been cheating on you as long as he says he is, he doesn't deserve your tears..." He kissed each of the silver tears that ran down the Mage's cheeks, erasing them before they reached his nose.  
  
Harry smiled and held the blonde's hand as he moved out of the bed and into Draco's lap, causing the boy to fall back onto the floor.  
  
Draco winced in pain and sucked in a breath as his knees protested the sudden movement. He shifted Harry to the middle of his chest. "Sorry... My legs have been asleep for the past two hours..." he said, stroking Midnight's back gently.  
  
Harry chuckled and kissed the blonde softly. "Thank you...I don't usually cry..."  
  
Draco smiled softly at the boy. "If you do, just let me know and I'll be there to kiss away all your tears again..." he said, cupping Harry's cheek with one hand.  
  
"I don't know what I did...but I think I should get on my knees and thank Merlin..." Midnight said as he leaned forward to kiss the blonde again.  
  
Draco kissed him back softly. "For what would you thank him?" he asked, confused.  
  
"What do you mean?" Harry asked as he blinked in confusion.  
  
"Personally, if I found out the man that I thought I loved was cheating on me...I'd be cursing him right about now..." Draco said, stroking Harry's soft cheek and kissing his forehead.  
  
"But he brought me here...is that not reason to praise him? I'm furious at Jade and if he'd've said one more word he wouldn't be a man right now, but where am I now?" He asked softly.  
  
"Laying on me..." Draco mused softly, slipping an arm around Midnight's waist and stroking his back softly.  
  
"Right..." Harry said with a smile as he nodded and lay his head on the blonde trainee's shoulder.  
  
Draco chuckled and kissed the top of Harry's head. "And a very comfortable position it is, too..." he replied, adjusting his body so that Harry fit perfectly into every hollow of his form. 'I knew he'd fit just like this...' he thought, smiling softly.  
  
"We should move to the bed...the floor isn't going to be comfortable for long..." Midnight said with a sighed.  
  
"If I can sit on that chair for more than a week straight and ignore my pain, I can sure lay on this floor with you in my arms..." he said, smiling and kissing the top of Harry's head.  
  
Midnight smiled and yawned as he chuckled at Lotus's soft hisses. "Silly snake..."  
  
"What'd she say?" Draco asked, stroking Harry's back softly and savoring the feel of the Mage pressed against him so intimately. On impulse, he leaned down and kissed Harry again softly.  
  
"Told ya so..." Harry repeated with a chuckle. "She said something to me earlier and I ignored her and now she's teasing me about it..."  
  
"I've leaned that snakes are often not wrong when they give you advice," Draco said, smiling and raising his head to look at the snake. "She's a magical snake... so I'm guessing that she's never wrong... or at least very seldom wrong..."  
  
"You should bite your tongue Draco, you have no clue what she said to me before..." Harry said with a blush as he yawned again and nuzzled Draco's shoulder. He hissed slightly when Draco put alittle too much pressure on his side and caused a sharp pain to race though his body.  
  
Draco immediately eased his pressure. "What did she say before?" he asked, noticing Harry's blush in the soft moonlight coming through the windows.  
  
Midnight blushed again and looked over Draco's shoulder. "She said we were meant to be together and that our auras blended well together..."  
  
Draco blushed as well. "Oh..." he said while stroking Harry's back absently. He smiled. 'I have absolutely no problem with that...' he thought, kissing the Mage's forehead. "Well, if I had to spend the rest of my life with someone, I'd say that I got a pretty good deal... Not everyone has swoon worthy eyes or a great sense of humor."  
  
"Oh yes," Midnight mumbled with a smile as he looked back at the trainee. "My humor is great...and when I get upset I assign impossible amounts of homework to my students and wear loose casual cloths until I feel better. Yes, I'm great company..."  
  
"You are... Even when you wear the loose, non-revealing clothes you're just as beautiful as the tight, showy ones..." he said, kissing the Mage gently. "And you're brave... and extremely sexy... and wonderfully smart... and beautiful... Do I need to go on?" He smiled at Midnight, shaking a piece of his long blonde hair out of his eyes.  
  
"No, no you don't...I get it...but I bet you never would've said any of this to me if the world didn't think I was dead..." Midnight said softly. "I bet if I'd have refused the training, you never would've told me any of that..."  
  
Draco frowned slightly. "Harry James Potter I have loved you since the first day that I saw you. I was going to tell you right after the Sorting Feast fifth year, my father and the consequences be damned, but you disappeared on me..." he said, raising an eyebrow. "Why do you think I offered you my hand in friendship? I thought that if I got close enough to you as a friend that you would see me as something more. I've loved you forever. That's why I've stayed a virgin all these years. I refused to believe that you were dead and that I'd never see you again," he said, leaning back slightly so he could see all of Harry's face.  
  
Harry laughed and gazed into his eyes. "Mm, and that's why when Basil commented on how much like Harry Potter I looked with my glasses you said I was dead so vehemently..." He chuckled at Draco's shocked look.  
  
"You were listening?" he asked, biting his lower lip.  
  
"Every word...I found it rather amusing actually..." Harry smiled and kissed him quickly. "I also liked the fact that everyone thinks I'm dead..."  
  
Draco slipped a hand under Harry's light top and pressed it gently on the Mage's lower back before pulling it out again. "Well, you certainly don't feel dead to me," he said, smiling and kissing Harry again. "You feel perfect just like I always dreamed you would."  
  
Midnight smiled and nuzzled the blonde's shoulder as he lay his head back down. "Thank you..." he whispered, shivering from the icy temperature of the tile floor.  
  
Draco felt the shiver that ran through Midnight's body and kissed the top of his head slightly. "Let's get you back to bed," he said, shifting the Mage into his arms and lifting him to the bed. He grabbed Harry's hand and moved to sit back on his chair.  
  
"You won't sleep up here with me?" Midnight asked with a laughed as he turned on his side. His 'come hither' look was ruined when deep-rooted yawn escaped his chest.  
  
Draco smiled and kissed the Mage's nose as he climbed in next to the boy, drawing him as close as he dared. "I didn't know that you would want me to," he said quietly, draping Harry's arm across his chest and sighed softly as his back relaxed for the first time in over a week into the soft mattress. "But I'm glad you did... this is much more enjoyable than the chair..."  
  
"I bet, Never been in one of the chairs myself, even back home, I'm always in the hospital beds..." He laughed and closed his eyes lightly. "I have my own room in the hospital section back at head quarters..."  
  
Draco sighed. "Well then.... I guess that I'll be spending a lot of time in one of the chairs.... Maybe they'll let me have one that has a lot of cushion..." he replied, closing his eyes. He felt Harry's warmth through his clothes and smiled softly.  
  
"Starlight isn't going to like that I'm in the hospital again...I promised her not to get sent to one for three months." Harry mumbled as he slid off to sleep.  
  
Draco smiled as he kissed Harry softly. "I love you, Harry Potter," he whispered, closing his eyes and going to sleep.  
  
Ok! I know what everyone is thinking, 'My god! Harry is easy!' but that's not the case, let me explain...  
  
Harry has two lovers...Jade and Sonar...Sonar is a Spirit Mage. Spirit Mages can only ever have one love and will love them forever. When a Spirit Mage finds their mate their full power is revealed and they finally become useful...although they aren't very useful even after they get their powers. They are good for messing with people's emotions and knowing if someone is lying or not...that's about it.  
  
Harry also has Jade. Harry and Jade have been together for a long time. Enough said.  
  
So, no, Harry is not loose or easy, he is just the way all mages are. And to answer a friends question, This will be solely HarryxDraco...I'm getting there....  
  
I hope that clears everything up   
  
Forever Loyal,  
Kat == and Vogel 


	11. A War Mages Path chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
Draco slowly woke, savoring the feel of Harry's body pressed against his side. He stretched and yawned slightly, looking over at the clock and seeing that he had just enough time to go and grab a shower before he had to go to lessons. 'I can't wait for the winter holidays...' he thought, easing out of the bed so that he wouldn't disturb the sleeping Mage.  
  
"Tell him that I went to lessons and I'll be back as soon as I can to wish him a good morning," he whispered to Lotus, stroking her soft head gently. "Tell him not to worry and that I'll bring him some lovely essays to work on..." He smiled and started for the door, slipping on his slippers.  
  
Harry woke up to the sound of the lunch bell and yawned. "Lotus...I do believe I've been in bed long enough...time to go back to classes." He laughed at the snakes questioning look. "No, I know I'll be forced back to bed later, but I want to teach the after noon D.A.D.A class. I won't feel to well after that, but oh well..."  
  
Draco knocked softly on Harry's door. He opened it and stuck his head in, seeing Harry perched at the edge of his bed. "Good afternoon. I thought you might be feeling up to teaching DADA today, so I brought you some fresh clothes, your toothbrush and your hair brush," he said, walking into the room and setting down the duffel bag filled with Harry's various pieces of clothing and his shampoo and conditioner.  
  
"Yes, actually I am...that might be all I'm up to, but I think I'd like it...thanks." Midnight smiled and picked up his bag, heading for the bathroom. "I'll be done in a moment, my hair is going to take a while..."  
  
Draco laughed. "I know the feeling. My hair used to be that long before I cut it all off," he said, sitting on the bed and pulling out the potions essays he had to do as make-up work. He sighed quietly, remembering why he'd had to cut it off.... Basil had loved to pull on it. Every time Draco had looked at his hair, it reminded him of his ex. He'd eventually cut it all off to where it was almost a crewcut.  
  
"No kidding..." Harry called as he turned on the water. "It took me a long time to grow this out. Jade says its what gets me in trouble the most. Last mission we were on I got captured and they held on to my hair, not my hands...it was very painful and they died slowly for it..."  
  
"They deserved it..." Draco said. "It hurts when you have your hair pulled. Stupid people just don't get it, or they think it's some kind of sick turn on... Hey, I've got a big stack of potions essays for you, Midnight," he said, changing the subject.  
  
"And watch me not do them..." Midnight laughed. "I'm really not here for a grade...I do the potions because I want to...what is the essay about?" He asked as he began to washed his hair.  
  
"The many uses of Wolfsbane," Draco replied, scribbling a few notes on his parchment.  
  
"Oh, the joys..." Harry said dryly as he began to rinse out his hair.  
  
Draco waved his wand absently and began to eat a large roast beef sandwich. "Truly. If the man were anymore dry, he'd be ignited by his own cauldron," Draco said, tapping a table and getting himself a glass of milk. He drank the cool liquid slowly, letting his eyes drift over the page of script he'd been writing for Divinations.  
  
There was a long pause after the shower turned off. Finally Midnight's head popped around the cornor and he rose and eyebrow at the blonde trainee. "Did you pick these out?"  
  
"I grabbed the first set of clothes that came to hand.... Why? Are they Quicksilver's? I didn't think they looked anything but black..." he said, tilting his head to the side and taking another bite of his sandwich. "I have a sandwich for you."  
  
Midnight stepped out of the bathroom and shifted all of his weight to his left hip as he scowled at Draco darkly. He was dressed in a loose flowing silver shirt with large cuffs with lace trimming that touched just above his fingertips and a large ruffled collar. The buttons started halfway down his chest and the shirt was tucked into a pair of black pants the left nothing to the imagination and flared at the bottom to cover his black boots. A large silver hoop belt was slung around his waist and hung sideways on his hip and a black velvet choker completed the outfit.  
  
"Mind explaining why I look like a blast from the past?"  
  
Draco bit his lip to keep from laughing. When he was sure he had the urge under control, he set his sandwich down and coughed lightly. "Like I said... I just grabbed the first thing that came to hand... we do have enough time to run to your room really quick and let you change..." he said, unable to keep a laugh in. He fell back on the bed, laughing so hard he had to hold his sides. "I love your pants, though. Very... Shagadelic..."  
  
"I hate you Draco Malfoy...no more picking out my cloths for you." Midnight said with a growl. "Stupid Halloween costume..." he grumbled. "This outfit is only good for on thing..."  
  
Draco grinned as he sat up. "Saving the world?" he asked, standing and walking over to Harry. "I'm sorry, Midnight. I really didn't know that I was bringing you a costume and not a change of clothes. Forgive me?" He hung his head in mock chagrin more to hide the twinkle in his eyes than anything else.  
  
"No, I have a different costume for saving the world, it has a 'M' right across my chest. No this outfit is only good for getting out of in dark rooms..." With that, Harry began to walk into the bathroom and change back into his pajamas to go back to his room.  
  
Draco blushed slightly and gathered all of his papers into his bag. He waited patiently for Harry, finishing his lunch while the Mage was changing clothes. "I guess I'll have to get another jacket soon," he said, yawning. "Otherwise, I'll only have my sweater to give you when we go flying."  
  
"Sorry about that, I'm sure Brushfire will give you another one." Midnight said as he moved out of the bathroom and grabbed the mayonnaise and rostbeef sandwich. "Come on, I have to go get some decent cloths. Although I think I'll keep the choker on, I liked that..."  
  
Grabbing both Midnight's bag and his own, Draco moved to open the door for the Mage. "Would you like to take the secret passage or the scenic route?" he asked, smiling.  
  
"Passage to the dungeons..." Midnight answered, with a smiled as he continued to eat.  
  
When Midnight was done, Draco led him from the hospital wing and through a dusty, rarely used passage. He emerged right in front of Midnight's room and smiled at the girl, who immediately opened the door.  
  
"Thank you Cindy..." Midnight said as he entered his room and went straight for his wardrobe. "Make your self comfortable, I'll be done in a moment."  
  
Draco sat and bounced slightly on the bed. He missed Tony. His roommate would have known just how to pull him out of his midday grump. Sighing softly, he laid back on the bed. "Any word on Tony yet?" he asked. "Wait... never mind. Sorry..."  
  
Midnight took off his shirt and laughed. "Sorry, I'm just as lost as you...Sonar and I really don't keep in touch..."  
  
'Maybe Aqua'll know...' he thought, studying the canopy of the bed. He yawned slightly and closed his eyes, wanting to take a quick nap while Harry was changing. He hadn't slept more than 40 hours in the last nine days, eight of which had taken place the night before. "Poppy told me that you can come back to your rooms if you want," he said, stretching.  
  
"I think I might do that...I miss my rooms. I'll have to burn my sheets, but other than that..." Midnight laughed as he stretched and pulled on a silver pair of pants that gathered at his ankle and a black Chinese style robe that had no sleeves and a high collar with a silver dragon stitched into the back. The robe had two panels that hung in front and behind his body, showing off the pants as he walked. He slipped into a pair of black slippers and turned to Draco. "Alright, I'm ready..."  
  
Draco opened his eyes and smiled at the Mage. "How do you do that?" he asked, standing. "You seem to get more beautiful every time I open my eyes..."  
  
Harry smiled and looked down at his outfit as he struggled to get a hold of his stupid body, he couldn't figure out why every time Draco was around he wanted to blush and giggle, it was beyond him.  
  
'It isn't as if I love him or anything,' Harry thought. 'It's just a stupid crush...a piece of my past that I haven't dealt with...'  
  
Draco heard the end of lunch bell and smiled. "Well, it's to class with us," he said, standing and brushing his hair off his face. "Come on, I'll race you."  
  
Midnight rose and eyebrow and put his hair up in a high pony tail, tying it off with a silver ribbon and letting the ends hang over his shoulder as he followed the blonde out of the room. "What are you working on now?"  
  
"Dragons," Draco replied, falling into step next to the Mage and shifting his bag.  
  
"Dragons...that wasn't on my lesson plan...you aren't supposed to have a full session on Dragons until I get word from Charlie..." Midnight scowled and seemed to walk faster. "You're supposed to be working with counter curses right now..."  
  
Draco kept pace and soon they were at the classroom. He took his seat and nodded to Greg and his fellow Slytherins. He looked up at Midnight, hearing him in an intense, but hushed, debate with Jade and Bloodlust.  
  
"I'm fine Bob, really, but what are you doing! I told you not to teach them this section yet, Why are you going against my lesson plan?" Midnight hissed, scowling at both of then men.  
  
"I told him to. Dragons are easier to teach when you're not here. You're the best at counter curses," Jade said, scowling.  
  
"Yeah, and because you didn't check with me, our class and Care of Magical Creature's schedules are thrown off. I had everything planed out. I left my planner on the desk in your room Jade, you could've looked at it a bit more carefully." Midnight's eyes flashed as he steadied himself on the desk.  
  
Jade reached out and put a steadying hand on the Mage's waist. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, eyebrows drawing together in concern.  
  
"My side hurts and I'm light headed, but I'm fine..." Harry said as he took as couple deep breaths and stiffened when he realized who was touching him. "Jade..." He said slowly as he gave the other Mage a dark look that would haunt a few of the Gryffindor's dreams for months to come.  
  
Jade sighed and took his hand off Harry's waist. "Well let's begin. What counter curse do you want to teach them?" he asked, frowning.  
  
"The cure to a cheating boyfriend..." Midnight murmured as he moved forward and held onto the table tightly. "Hey everyone, please excuse my absence, I haven't been well lately. And seeing as I'm still not feeling to good, I'm going to teach you one counter curse and let you practice on pumpkins for the rest of the class." He smiled.  
  
His smile turned frighteningly wicked as he looked over at the magenta haired Mage. "Jade, could you come here and be my model..."  
  
Jade's expression was unreadable as he moved to the front of the class.  
  
Draco smiled slightly, happy that Midnight was getting his revenge.  
  
"The head shrinking curse, A very childish and low way to disorientate you opponent, but will be used if known, I can almost guaranty it, wizards aren't as mature as they seem sometimes." HE looked at Ron Weasly who was blushing despite not having down anything.  
  
With a wave of his hand over Jade's head Midnight watched as it shrunk until it was no bigger than a large grapefruit.  
  
"This is easy to rectify, just wave your wand over your head and say, 'Moffattus Zarimus'" He said, demonstrating the counter curse. "Now, I don't trust any of you so I'm giving you pumpkins to practice on. If I see anyone threatening to use this curse on anyone," He shot Pansy a sharp look. "I'll take every last house point away from that house." With that he turned back to the desk and moved to sit on it.  
  
Draco shrank his pumpkin absently. He rested his chin on his hand and thought of what he was going to write in his potions essay for the next day.  
  
When the bell rang, he shrank his pumpkin again and slipped it into his pocket. He walked up to the desk where Jade was sitting sullenly behind Midnight.  
  
"Would you like me to escort you back to the hospital wing?" he asked Midnight, smiling.  
  
"No, Thanks but I'm Ok. I think I'll go to class with you and the others. Then I'll pass out and you can take me to my room..." Midnight joked as he got off the desk and smiled at Bloodlust. "I'll see you at dinner Bob, Jade..." He nodded and turned to leave.  
  
"Midnight," Jade said, reaching a hand out to gently hold the boy's wrist. "I'm sorry..."  
  
Draco frowned at the man and slipped his arm around Midnight to tug his arm away. "Come on, we'll be late," he whispered, afraid that he'd just overstepped his bounds.  
  
Harry gazed at Jade for a moment and almost stepped back to him, but stopped and sighed as he turned and moved to the door, "I will see you at dinner..." he said softly as he left.  
  
Draco followed Harry silently. 'Brilliant. Just brilliant. You're sure winning this fight,' he thought with a soft sigh. He bit his lip and chewed on the soft flesh absently, watching his feet as he moved behind Midnight.  
  
"Hey, Midnight, Are you alright?" Vincent asked as he fell into step beside Draco. "We were worried about you. We wanted to come visit, but Poppy said no..."  
  
Draco adjusted his bag slightly as Basil moved behind him. "We missed your lessons. The dragons we've been learning about are boring," he said, walking a little too close for Draco's comfort.  
  
"I've got to talk to Brushfire really quick, I'll see you all up there," he said, walking quickly down the corridor.  
  
"What have you learned about? I never thought that Dragons were boring myself..." Midnight asked as he watched Draco walk away quickly.  
  
"Sand dragons, Horntails, Ridgebacks... nothing really interesting..." Basil said as he watched Draco's robes swirl with a calculating eye.  
  
"Those dragons were only uninteresting to you because you want to learn about the Dragon that just walked away," Vincent replied, smirking at Basil. "And Midnight got him first."  
  
"You'll enjoy it when I teach you, trust me..." Midnight said as he tried to ignore his friends comment. "I've already taught you alittle bit about Sand Dragons..."  
  
Basil shrugged. "Most dragons are boring. I'm not really an animal type of person. I don't like pets," he said, raising an eyebrow at Vincent.  
  
"So that's why you threw Longbottom's toad out the window..." he replied, smiling slightly.  
  
"Trevor?" Harry asked as he looked back at his friends. "That's just cruel..." He shook his head and began to climb the golden stairs into the tower.  
  
"Should have heard the toad hit the pavement. Splat! Damn thing survived, though..." Basil said, laughing.  
  
Vincent frowned. "Basil, that's a very morbid, sick thing to say..." he said, following the Slytherin's up the ladder.  
  
"One day Basil," Midnight said softly as he sat next to Draco calmly. "I'm going to throw you out a window and wait and see what you sound like when you hit the pavement, and unlike the toad that has an inbreed bouncing charm, you won't survive..."  
  
Draco raised his eyebrow at the Mage but continued to study his crystal ball, gazing into it. He got a hazy image of an emerald green pendant, but it quickly faded and he sighed and tried again.  
  
"You have to much on you mind Draco, take a deep breath and forget everything around you..." Midnight said softly as he poured himself a cup of tea and calmly drank it, filling out a star chart at the same time.  
  
Draco tried to blank out his mind. He looked up to see Basil staring at him, and he raised his wand slightly. When Basil looked away, Draco stood and walked to the windows to stare out. He sat down again and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. He placed his hands on the ball again and stared into the depths.  
  
He saw Midnight. The Mage was smiling and dusting off his clothes. The thing that attracted Draco's attention the most was an emerald pendant hanging around the boy's neck. It was huge.  
  
"Midnight, do you have an emerald pendant?" he asked, trying to remember if he'd ever seen the Mage wearing one.  
  
"No, I don't were much expensive jewelry. Everything I own is silver and obsidian...why?" HE asked as he turned his teacup and frowned when he saw a lightning bolt and a snake in the same image.  
  
"No reason..." Draco replied, sighing and releasing the ball. He tried again, but got the exact same image. 'I've got to stop thinking about him," he thought, stretching.  
  
Midnight turned his cup and saw a broken lion. He scowled and turned it one more time to see a warped heart. He quickly set his cup down and took another one, and poured himself more tea.  
  
Draco pulled out his deck of tarot cards and shuffled them. He pulled a card out and saw the lovers. Draco sighed softly and shuffled it back into his deck. He yawned slightly and pulled the Ace of Cups out of the deck.  
  
"Midnight, why aren't you doing what I assigned?" Brushfire asked, walking over and raising one pink eyebrow.  
  
"Because I'm doing something more important?" He answered as he sipped his tea and ignored her. He couldn't stop thinking about the empty teacup beside him. He knew it was telling him something, he never read his tea leaves wrong.  
  
"Do that on your own time... this is class time," she said, scowling.  
  
Draco motioned her over.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"Seer Mage Brushfire... help me interpret this reading..." he said, laying out a random set of cards.  
  
"Of course..." She said sweetly as she cast one more glare at the War Mage and went over to her trainee. "What do you need help with?"  
  
"This card..." Draco pointed to the lovers. "It's in conjunction with this one...." He indicated the Seven of Cups in reverse. "But it's also attached to Death..."  
  
"The lovers in its up right form is Love and choice, and Death's up right meaning is renewal. So it's perfectly logical that these cards go hand in hand." She said as she pointed to the reversed seven of cups that lay across the Lovers card. "But this card means Deception and Fantasies...not a good thing for the budding couple. Seeing as you lay the card slightly to the right, I'm willing to bet that the card is telling you that it wants to be recognized for its reversed meaning as well. The reversed meaning of the Lovers card is Disrupted Emotions..."  
  
She frowned and looked over the three cards again. "Who is this reading for Draco?"  
  
Draco shrugged. "Me," he said, gathering the cards. He smiled up at the Seer Mage. "Thank you, Seer Mage Brushfire."  
  
Brushfire nodded and turned back around to continue yelling at the War Mage but stopped when she realized he was standing and gathering his stuff to leave twenty minuets before the bell. "What, Midnight, do you think you are doing?"  
  
Midnight looked up and rose an eyebrow. "Leaving, what does it look like?"  
  
Draco stood. "We're supposed to go to the hospital wing and have Madame Pomfry check him out, Seer Mage," Draco said, lifting his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He smiled at his teacher and grabbed Harry's bag, carrying it for him.  
  
Harry smiled and gave the Seer and look that begged her to question him and he grabbed a sheet of paper and filled the tea cups with water to keep Brushfire from reading them.  
  
Draco followed Harry out of the tower, sighing softly when he was away from Basil. "Thank you for leaving," he said, smiling.  
  
"Your welcome," Midnight said as he stood up straight and watched the floor in front of him carefully. "Why did you want to leave?" he asked.  
  
Draco sighed. "I've been trying to avoid Basil lately. He's been coming on stronger since the world thinks we're having troubles. I just don't want to deal with him," Draco said, shrugging. "What about you?"  
  
"My tea leaves are reading in weird ways. I'm going to tell Aqua what I saw, then go back to my room. Your welcome to join me in both matters..." Midnight said with a chuckle as he stumbled slightly and glared at the offending blur that crouched in his way.  
  
Draco laughed. "Here's your chance to kick her real hard..." he teased, seeing Mrs. Norris's lamp-like eyes gleam.  
  
"I would, but unlike Basil, I'm not cruel to animals, and I might miss hurt her terribly right not. Excuse us Madame..." He nodded to the cat that seemed to nod back and skitter out of his way to allow them by.  
  
Draco smiled. He yawned slightly. "I'm going to go and take a nap... I'll see you later, Midnight," he said, leaning over and kissing Harry's cheek before turning down a corridor and walking towards his room.  
  
"Alright, see you at dinner..." Harry called as he continued along the narrow stone hallways. When Midnight reached the older Mage's room he smiled thankfully, he was just about to reach out and knock on the painting when a sudden pain ripped though his body and his eyes rolled in the back of his head as he fell to the floor in silence.  
  
Aqua sighed when she walked out of her room and saw the crumpled Mage. "I tell them to keep you in bed and they just don't listen," she muttered, levitating him onto her large bed. She sat down in one of her chairs and waited for him to regain consciousness after checking to make sure he wasn't injured too bad.  
  
Midnight gasped and twitched as a vision hit him.  
  
"Are you sure...you wouldn't lie to me would you pet?" A cold deep voice hissed to a kneeling person before him in a set of black robes.  
  
"No my lord, What I tell you is true, and I would know..."  
  
"Then I shall believe you. I want him...I want him now...I will send you a team off my strongest Deatheaters. I don't want any witnesses if there are any...kill them. Take him somewhere public...in the middle of class maybe " The voice answered with another deep chuckle.  
  
A tall figure with jet black hair and piercing gold eyes stood and walked forward to place a long well tanned hand on the kneeling figure's shoulder. "I trust you will not fail me my son...soon the last fleeting defense Dumbledore has against our power will fall, soon...Harry Potter will die..."  
  
Midnight woke with a scream as he sat up and pressed his hand to his temple tightly, moving his other hand to hold the half healed hole in his side.  
  
Jade stood and walked over to him. "What was it, Midnight?" she asked, knowing by his scream he'd had another vision.  
  
"Bad...not good...everyone is in danger, I half to leave..." Midnight gasped as he moved to get off the large bed.  
  
"Settle down, Midnight," Aqua said, pushing him back down gently. "Tell me what you saw and we'll see what needs to be done."  
  
Harry nodded. "I saw the dark lord talking to one of his Deatheaters, but the odd thing was it wasn't Voldermort. It was someone else...they had short black hair and gold eyes...tan skin...it was odd. He said that he would send a team to Hogwarts and attack during classes where there was a lot of people. He said to kill any witnesses. He wants me and he knows who I am..." He shivered.  
  
Aqua nodded grimly. "I'm sending you and your team to Mage headquarters for the holidays. They won't attack there. When the school term resumes, however, you'll need to come back here or else people will get suspicious. This new man worries me, though," she said, sighing. "As soon as your side is healed, you should pack and leave. It's only a few weeks until the holidays, anyways."  
  
"No need to wait until my side is healed. I'll pack and leave on Saturday." Midnight said as he moved to get out of bed and hissed when Quicksilver poked him in the side.  
  
"Don't make me hex you," the ghost-like Mage warned.  
  
Aqua rose an eyebrow. "You're not leaving until that side is healed. On my orders, Mage," she warned.  
  
Midnight sighed and nodded. "Yes Madame..." he said softly and he looked down at his hands.  
  
"You're not to leave your room and I'm warding it just in case. I don't like how easily you gave up," she said, raising one eyebrow. "Now let's get you back to your room."  
  
Midnight nodded and stood with Hellaine's help. "Did I miss dinner?" He asked with a soft laugh.  
  
"Yes. I'll see that you get some," Aqua said, opening her door and letting the two of them out. She followed them down the halls to their room, nodding to various people she knew.  
  
"Thank you..." Harry answered and he ignored the stares the group was receiving.  
  
Cindy allowed them in and Aqua began to mumble incantations under her breath, sealing the Mage in. "I'll give you this owl to pass notes and lesson plans. You're only allowed out when under the supervision of a Mage or a Trainee," she said, handing him a miniature version of a snow owl.  
  
"Thanks, I feel like I'm being punished for something I haven't done yet. I'm sick and my side and head are in competition to see with one can kill me faster and you're already planning for my un thought of escape plan. The only thing I can do right now is walk and pray my vision spells don't collapse and I'm being held prisoner for it..." Midnight raved and stumbled back slightly from a slight loss of balance.  
  
"Bed," Aqua said. When Hellaine eased him down, Aqua looked at Midnight. "Do you want anyone here? Jade... or the Trainee?" She knew the trainee was in love with Midnight, but didn't know how much the Mage returned the feeling.  
  
Midnight shook his head as his vision blurred again. "I'm going to pass out in a moment and whichever one is here when I wake up is fine with me..." He said as he closed his eyes, vaguely hoping for Draco to be there when he came to.  
  
"Which one do you think should be here, Quicksilver?" Aqua asked the girl, sighing slightly.  
  
"Let them both be here," She said as she pulled on a piece of her white hair. "They can battle it out and whichever is left alive when he wakes up will be the one that's here..."  
  
"Which one is he less mad at?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. The girl had a point, though... Only one of them would be left alive...  
  
"Him and the trainee aren't having problems right now. But it doesn't look like Jade wants to leave." She leaned in closer and shielded her mouth from Jade's sight. "Harry found out about Brushfire..."  
  
Aqua rose an eyebrow. "He didn't know in the first place? Jade, I think it might be best if you left," she said, turning to the Mage. "I don't want him any more upset than he already is."  
  
Jade shook his head. "No, I'm staying..." He said, stroking his lover's forehead gently, "He needs me."  
  
Quicksilver shook her head. "No, he never knew. And Jade was with Brushfire all the time...Dark corners and all..."  
  
Aqua scowled at the Mage. "Jade, you need to leave, now. Until he's better you're banned from seeing him," she said, tone brooking no opposition.  
  
"No," Jade said as his eyes flashed and he held Midnight's hand tighter. "I won't let you. He needs me, I love him, I won't see him taken care of by anyone but me." He shouted.  
  
Aqua's expression turned blank as the air cooled until their breaths could be seen. "Yes, you took great care of him when you let him go into the Forbidden Forest alone while you were messing around with Brushfire. Out or I'll make you leave," she said as her eyes turned completely ice blue without any white to be seen. "Now."  
  
"No!" He shouted. "I was sleeping when he disappeared with the trainee." He growled and he stood and stared at his trainer. "I listen to you on all things, but this one I refuse to obey! I screwed up! I know this, but I can't make it right by not being here!"  
  
"I don't care about that! Make it right later, just not now. He obviously doesn't want to see you, and I'm not going to make him. I'll let you talk to him tomorrow. Out. Now," she said, her fingertips beginning to glow with a pale light as the temperature dropped another few degrees.  
  
"Promise?" Jade asked as he seemed to drain of all his anger and look down at his sleeping lover with a pain in his eyes at seeing him in such a state.  
  
"Yes, now out," Aqua said, raising the temperature and clamping down on her temper.  
  
Jade sighed and caressed Harry's face before he left.  
  
Quicksilver laughed and stuck her tongue out at the magenta haired mage. "Serves him right..." She said with a nod when he was gone. "He doesn't deserve my Harry."  
  
"Quicksilver, will you go get Draco? I think he's sleeping in his room," Aqua said, sighing softly.  
  
"Yep, Yep!" She said as she bounced out of the room, her white dress flowing around her happily, her gray ballet slippers barely making any noise as she skipped all the way to Draco's room.  
  
Draco sighed softly in his sleep, holding Tony's turtle closer. "Harry..." he mumbled, sighing again.  
  
Quicksilver giggled softly and crept to the side of his bed where he slept on the top of his covers. "Ah how cute...but...Time to wake up and make dreams a reality!" She cried as she grasped his comforter and yanked it out from under him in one movement, Sending Draco to the floor at the same time.  
  
Draco snapped awake and looked at Quicksilver. "Morning," he said calmly, stretching and scratching his stomach. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"Oh...you're no fun...I'm glad I'm not you're roommate..." Quicksilver said as she pull the gray ribbon that bound her hair. "Anyways, you are needed...we need someone to watch over Midnight."  
  
"What do you mean?" Draco asked, standing and pulling on his shoes. He headed for the door, still holding Mr. Turtle. "Is he in the hospital again?"  
  
"No, he's in our room. He collapsed outside of Aqua's rooms and had a vision." She shrugged. "Hence your presence is requested..."  
  
Draco headed for out the door and jogged the short distance to Midnight's room. He smiled at the little girl and gave her a sucker. When Cindy opened, he moved to the bedside and began a visual examination of Harry. He gently held the boy's hand and waved his wand to bring a chair into existence.  
  
"Summon me if you need me..." Aqua said as she nodded to Hellaine and left the room.  
  
Draco nodded and gave Aqua a weak smile. "Good night, Aqua," he said, yawning slightly. 'I'm never going to make it to NEWTS,' he thought, leaning back in his chair and absently scratching Mr. Turtle.  
  
"Go ahead and get in bed with him, I don't think he'll mind." Quicksilver said with a laugh as she set about painting her nails a metallic pale gray.  
  
Draco nodded and crawled into bed next to Midnight. "Hey Quicksilver, do me a favor?" he asked, yawning. "I'm sure Midnight would be really grateful."  
  
"What's that?" She asked as she watched Lotus curl up on the boy's feet.  
  
"Don't wake him up tomorrow..." he said, holding Mr. Turtle and Midnight close. He laid his head on Harry's gently, sighing and closing his eyes.  
  
"I'm crazy, I'm not sadistic..." She said softly as she began to paint her toenails.  
  
"Thank you," Draco mumbled, falling asleep quickly. He sighed softly, relaxing as Harry's warmth pressed against his side.  
  
Wow...chapter 11...are you happy? Is it good? Does anyone want a cookie?  
  
Ok, thank you for all the wonderful reviews and if I reach 100 reviews with this chapter I am throwing a party! And for once, everyone will be mentioned! == Thank you all again and please don't forget to review.  
  
Forever Loyal,  
Kat == and Vogel 


	12. A War Mages Path chapter 12

Chapter 12   
  
"But Draco," Harry whined as he stood and sighed grumpily. "I'm bored and being in here all the time is not helping, why won't you take me out or something?"  
  
Draco smiled and stood up to gather the Mage into his arms. "Because I want you to get better and all that running around and killing things is bad for that plan," he said. "Tell you what... If you get on some really warm clothes, I'll take you out and fly you around."  
  
Midnight's mind whirled as he thought of how to leave when Draco wasn't looking, but then thought better of it when he realized the trust Draco was putting in him without realizing it.  
  
"Let me see what I have..." He said as he walked over to the wardrobe.  
  
Draco pulled on his white sneakers and avoided looking at Midnight. As Harry got better, sleeping in the same bed with him became more torturous every night. He wanted to take Midnight and keep him forever. He was growing more and more attached to the boy by the day. He sighed quietly as he thought of how the Mage was going to leave in a few short days.  
  
Midnight stripped and began to dress. He put on a pair of silver pants and a long sleeved black turtleneck sweater that was four sizes to big for him and hung down to his knees. He pulled on a pair of black boots with black fur around the top and pulled out a pair of silver earmuffs with a black connector piece.  
  
"Ready Draco?"  
  
Draco nodded and grabbed his broom and coat. He opened the door and assured Cindy that Midnight would stay with him. He smiled at the Mage and led him out to the steps of Hogwarts. There was a light snow falling, and the ground was already covered in thick drifts. He mounted his broom and slid forward to allow Harry enough room to sit comfortably.  
  
Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around Draco when he got on the broom comfortably. "Where to?"  
  
"It's up to you, oh wise Mage. We can't stay out too long, though. I don't want you to get sick," Draco said, slowly moving out into the snowy air. He circled the lake a few times, waiting for Harry to make his decision.  
  
"To the stars..." Midnight said as he closed his eyes and sighed.  
  
Draco smiled and flew slow circles around the lake. He chuckled as he remembered Harry's innuendo of the other day. "How's your balance?" he asked quietly, leaning back into Harry's warmth.  
  
"Want to find out?" Midnight asked with as a wicked smile curled his lips.  
  
"Love to..." Draco said, gently lifting the Mage until Harry sat in front of him. "Are you willing to be mine?"  
  
"Aren't I yours now?" he asked with a chuckle.  
  
"I mean for a long time... I want you so bad it hurts, but I don't want a quick 'hi how are you... lets have sex' thing. Will you be mine for a good long time if not forever?" he asked, kissing Harry's neck softly.  
  
"You don't mind Sonar?" He asked softly as he pulled back and looked deeply into Draco's blue eyes. "You have to tell me yes or no..."  
  
Draco kissed him softly. "No, because I know that you and Sonar have a very good relationship already... you're the one who gave him his full power, and living with Tony made me realize what that means to a Spirit Mage. I just hope he doesn't mind me..." he said, smiling at Harry. "Anyone else, I'd mind, but Sonar's okay..."  
  
Harry smiled and leaned forward, kissing the trainee softly. "Good..."  
  
Draco smiled and wrapped his arms around the Mage's waist. "Shall we retire to your rooms?" he asked, slipping his hand under the Mage's sweater and sliding it over Harry's muscular back.  
  
Midnight chuckled and pressed his body closer to the blonde's. "I thought you wanted to test my balance..."  
  
Draco smiled and slipped his upper body into Harry's sweater, moving to suck on one of his nipples. "I knew I liked this sweater for some reason..." he mumbled, nipping at the boy's skin gently. Draco inhaled Harry's scent as he gently sucked on the boy's nipple, not wanting to hurt his wounds. He held the broom as steady as he could, feeling the temperature in the sweater increase dramatically.  
  
"Mmm...Draco, although I'd love to do this, maybe we can move inside and I can show you my balance in the room." Midnight said with a laugh as the snow began to fall harder.  
  
Draco pulled his head out from under Harry's sweater and chuckled. "Sorry..." he said as he kept one arm around the Mage as he steered the broom back to the castle steps. "Got kind of carried away.."  
  
"I didn't mind and normally I'd say fly higher until the Quidditich pitch was just a small speck, but its going to be a terrible Ice storm and I think we should get in." Midnight said with a smile as he kissed the blonde's neck.  
  
Draco shivered slightly and landed. "I feel sorry for all the kids going to Herbology tomorrow..." he said, allowing Harry to dismount and sliding off the broom himself. He held out his hand to Harry, smiling sweetly at the Mage.  
  
Midnight smiled and stepped into the trainee's arms. "To your room..." he whispered.  
  
With a nod, Draco led them to his room. He opened the door and led Harry in. He was slightly nervous, but true to his Malfoy character he didn't show it. After shutting and locking the door, he turned and kissed Harry gently, wanting the time to last as long as possible.  
  
"Don't worry Draco, its alright...it's all really easy..." Midnight said as he placed his hand on the side of Draco's face and kissed him again.  
  
(Edited)   
  
"Draco, would you stop taking my cloths out of my bag, this really is childish." Midnight said as he folded a black sleeveless shirt for the third time and put it back in the suitcase.  
  
Draco sighed and grinned. "Fine. I surrender," he said, grabbing a shirt and folding it. He laid it in the bag and reached for another one. He looked at his new lover and smiled. It felt good to be closer to the Mage. He'd discovered a lot about Harry that he'd never thought possible.  
  
Harry laughed and pulled a black pair of tights. "Oh god, I thought I burned these..."  
  
Draco rose a single eyebrow. "Tights? Why Potter... I never thought you the tights type," he said dryly, a smirk firmly in place.  
  
Harry laughed again. "I'm not, that's the funny part, Jade stole my cloths once and told me that either I wore tights or I would be naked." He shrugged and threw the tights into the bag.  
  
Draco's expression blanked out. He folded a pair of silver pants and tucked them into the case. He yawned slightly and concentrated on the thought of his upcoming Potion's exam, trying to see the questions.  
  
"He was so upset when he realized I wasn't wearing the tights that I think he turned the color of his hair..." Harry said with a laugh.  
  
"Aqua was thrilled when you walked into the Hall completely naked," Jade said from the doorway, smiling at Harry.  
  
"Oh yes, she was ecstatic...and you were no help, what with your threatening everyone that was looking at me..."  
  
The morning after Harry had been with Draco he had had a long talk with Jade and been very proud that he hadn't killed the older mage. They had agreed to work out their problems, but, on Harry's insistence, they were not to have any physical relationship.  
  
Midnight turned to his former lover. "What do you think?" He asked as he held up a black frilled shirt and a pair of silver pants with black boots.  
  
"Shirt no, everything else, yes," Jade said, smiling. He looked at Draco and felt anger boil inside of him. He'd taken Midnight and made him his own.  
  
Draco looked at the Mage and rose an eyebrow, cool and arrogant. He refused to rise to the man's bait, ignoring his childish glares and snide remarks.  
  
Midnight rolled his eyes and pulled out another shirt. "I swear, Why do I have these pants anyways...I can't find a shirt they go with..."  
  
Draco held up a black sheer poets shirt with silver laces. "How about this one?" he asked, ignoring Jade's sneer.  
  
"Oh goodness...Haven't seen that in a long time..." He smiled and lay the outfit on the bed to examine it. "I like it, thank you..." He smiled at Draco and began to fold the shirt and pants together.  
  
"You're welcome," Draco said, and continued to fold various items of clothes.  
  
"I've come to collect you," Jade said, frowning slightly. He shook his head and smiled again. "It's time to go."  
  
"Well then grab a few more cloths and throw them in the bag while I go get my toothbrush..." Midnight said with a laugh. "No killing each other..." he said as he left.  
  
Draco stepped back and took out his wand and flicked his wrist, causing all of Harry's possessions to neatly place themselves into the suitcase.  
  
"Did you get lost my love?" Jade called with a smile.  
  
Harry's laugh answered him. "No, I decided to get my robe and take it with me, but its in your room, did you pack it?" He asked as he came back into the room and put his toothbrush in-between a few stacks of cloths and zipped the suitcase.  
  
"No. I'm keeping it," Jade said with a smile as he leaned over and kissed Midnight's cheek. He picked up the Mage's suitcase and headed for the door. "Come on, Aqua's waiting," he said as he headed out the door.  
  
"Alright, I'll be out in a moment, I promise." Midnight said with a smile.  
  
Jade nodded and left.  
  
Draco stood and looked Harry in the eye. "If he does anything to you, I'll kill him," he said serious.  
  
Harry laughed and kissed Draco's cheek. "That's a sweet offer, but no killing Jade. He won't do anything, he promised me he wouldn't."  
  
Draco pulled the Mage into his arms and kissed him deeply. "I'm going to miss you," he said, sighing and releasing Harry. "If you need anything, send me an owl."  
  
"I'll be fine, don't worry about me, I'll be fine, I'll be back before you know it." Midnight said as he kissed the trainee again and moved away, heading for the door.  
  
Draco watched him leave and sighed softly. "Why do I not believe you?" he mumbled, getting up and going back to his room to try to write his father again. Draco had been trying to owl him for weeks, but hadn't been getting a response.  
  
Midnight sighed as he walked beside Jade. He knew something was going to go wrong, he just knew it.  
  
"What's wrong?" Jade asked, tilting his head with concern.  
  
"I don't like this...I have a feeling something is wrong and I can't figure it out..."Harry replied as he stretched and pulled on his braid.  
  
Jade smiled and poked Harry's stomach playfully. "Did you leave the cauldron on?" he teased, referring to the time that Harry had left it on and started the whole potions lab on fire.  
  
"Oh ha ha, that's was just as much you fault..." Midnight commented as he flipped his braid behind him. "No, and if I did Snape deserves it..."  
  
Jade laughed and shifted Harry's suitcase. He rounded a bend and said, "As I recall, you were the one that grabbed me first," he said.  
  
Midnight smiled and recalled that day clearly. "So it was, but did you ever think of saying no?" He asked with a laugh.  
  
"I can never say no to you when you ask me for that..." Jade said, grinning and taking Harry's hand.  
  
"Teddy..." Midnight warned as he looked at their joined hands.  
  
Jade reluctantly pulled his hand away and sighed, looking at the portraits lining the hall. He shifted the suitcase again, giving himself something to do. "I'm sorry..." he mumbled, turning another corner. He felt guilt wash over him again. "It really was stupid of me and I hope you can forgive me one day..."  
  
"One day Teddy, but I won't forgive you like that, not anytime soon..." Harry said softly, looking at his feet as they walked. When they reached Aqua, Midnight smiled and moved to stand by his roommate.  
  
Theodore nodded and stood near Bloodlust. He transported with the rest and followed Harry to he and Quicksilver's rooms to get his stuff out of them. "Will you have dinner with me tonight?" he asked Harry, falling into step beside the Mage and his roommate.  
  
Midnight nodded and smiled softly. "Of course...what shall I wear?"  
  
He smiled at the older mage and winked as he unlocked his door and opened it. "You want your stuff don't you..." He whispered.  
  
After letting Quicksilver pass, he stood in the doorway. "Not if you don't want it out of there..." he said, looking deep into Midnight's silver eyes. "I just didn't think that you'd want to see any of my things..."  
  
"I..." Midnight gazed deep into Jade's green eyes and sighed. He wanted Jade, He loved Jade with all of his hear, but he couldn't stop thinking about Draco and the boy's love for him. He knew he could grow to love Draco...there was potential, but did he want it...  
  
Midnight sighed. "I...think that would be best...you're right, I'm very upset at you..." he whispered.  
  
"I'll get it later..." he said, turning to leave. "I do still love you, Harry..." He closed the door softly and started down the corridor towards his own rooms.  
  
"I know..."Harry whispered softly, "I still love you too..."  
  
Jade returned at six that same day and knocked at Harry's door. He was wearing a pair of tight green pants and a magenta tank-top with a green over-shirt. He waited, tugging nervously at the cuffs of his shirt.  
  
Quicksilver opened the door with a bounce and stopped when she saw who it was. "Oh, it's you..." She flicked one of her white pigtails out of her eyes and rose her eyebrow. "What do you want?"  
  
"I'm here to pick Harry up for dinner. He agreed to come," he replied, trying to smile but failing miserably.  
  
"I don't know why..." She said as she turned and walked back to her bed, adjusting her short gray cargo skirt and white tube top as he went. "You know, if you weren't on my team, I'd kill you for hurting him..."  
  
Jade looked at the floor and moved to sit on Harry's bed. "Where is he, by the way?" he asked, looking around the room.  
  
"In the bathroom...he'll be out in a moment..." She then set about ignoring the other mage until Midnight arrived.  
  
Harry straightened his shirt and sighed once more. He was wearing a silver silk shirt and a pair of black pants with a pair black boots with silver laces. He couldn't help but think that he looked frumpy as he exited the bathroom and turned off the light. He jumped slightly when he saw Jade sitting on his bed.  
  
Jade gave the Mage a smile as he stood. "You look lovely," he said quietly, eyes tracing every line that the elegant clothing revealed and hid at the same time.  
  
Midnight smiled his thanks and gave a glance to his roommate. "See ya Laine..."  
  
Jade opened the door for Harry as Hellaine rose her eyebrow and scowled slightly. "I liked the blonde more," she said before turning and poking at her pillow.  
  
Jade's smile faded slightly, but he offered Harry his arm anyways. "Where do you want to go? The Cafeteria... or the Cafeteria?"  
  
Harry smiled and took the arm. "The Cafeteria sounds lovely..." He laughed and headed off that way.  
  
Jade laid his hand over Harry's and smiled at the Mage. "So, what's your next assignment?" he asked once they were seated around a small booth.  
  
"The council hasn't given me one...I think our group might get a break for awhile..." Midnight replied as he picked up the menu and looked it over. "Do you have one?"  
  
"Not yet... I think they might make me an instructor and give me a student, though," he replied, smiling happily.  
  
"That's a frightening prospect..." Midnight said with a laugh. "I pity your student...They'll turn out like Fred and Gorge..."  
  
Jade laughed, remembering Harry tell him about the twins that he'd known at Hogwarts. "At least they'd be more interesting than some of the Mage's here, and they'd kick some major ass," he said, grinning.  
  
Harry laughed and placed his order when a girl from the kitchens came over to them.  
  
Jade ordered the chicken. "Feeling brave today?" he asked when Harry ordered the Special.  
  
"Oh yes, I might be able to show the Potion Mages how to make it edible one day..." Midnight said with a chuckle. "So...Have you seen Spirit Mage Nightwish?" He asked with a smile.  
  
"Not yet," Jade answered, smiling. "I heard that he's going back to Hogwarts, though. His roommate is still training there, and he wanted to be stationed with our team."  
  
"Yeah, he'll be coming back with us at the end of the holiday...so..." Midnight night grinned. "What did you get me for Christmas?"  
  
"Myself wearing a bow on..." he said, smiling at their old joke. "Well, lets just say that you'll like taking the bow off."  
  
"Unfortunately, that present won't be opened...I'm still angry at its sender, but I'll put it away until I'm not." He said with a sigh.  
  
Jade nodded. "So, what are you getting me for Christmas besides a poison turkey?" he asked as he accepted the plate from the waitress.  
  
"An engraved bracelet that sucks the life out of its wearer..." Midnight replied with a laugh as he looked at the mound of peach and green slop on his plate surrounded by shriveled orange lumps that Harry assumed had been carrots at one time.  
  
Jade rose an eyebrow at the plate. "Hence the 'grave' part in engraved?" he joked, sliding his plate closer to Midnight to allow the Mage to have some.  
  
Midnight sighed and began to eat from Jade's plate slowly. "Oh yes, burial plot and all..."  
  
"Well then, you won't get my present, now will you?" Jade asked, trying to cheer the boy up. "Midnight, what's wrong? You seem down..."  
  
"Nothing," He replied. "I'm just still exhausted..." He smiled weakly and continued to eat.  
  
"Do you want to go back to your room after this?" he asked, concern in his jade green eyes. Despite how he'd betrayed the boy, he still loved Harry very much.  
  
Midnight nodded. "My head is hurting...it would be best..." he replied as he leaned back slightly. "So really, what did you get me?"  
  
"I can't tell," Jade said, smiling. "Well, I can hint. It involved your favorite color and an object." He grinned and looked smug.  
  
"You have one twisted mind Teddy, but I won't tell you either so I guess its fair..." He laughed and stood when he couldn't eat anymore. "Are you done?"  
  
"Yes," Jade said, standing and offering Midnight his arm. He smiled. "Well, you could at least give me a hint..."  
  
"It's your favorite color and you can hold it..." He replied with a laugh, emulating Jade's earlier words.  
  
"You? Oh... what a lovely gift... I shall be by tomorrow to pick it up for lunch at noon," he said, kissing Midnight's hand as they reached Harry's room.  
  
"You are weird and are just trying to win me back..." Harry stated mater-of- factly as he smiled and turned to open his door, trying to ignore the happy feelings inside at the thought of Jade still loving him.  
  
Jade held onto Midnight's hand, stopping him. "Harry... I was a fool... I had you every day and I didn't even realize what I had. I love you... and always will. I hope that one day you will forgive me and we can go back to how we were in the beginning. I know it doesn't mean much... but you still have my heart and always will..." he said, the last words scarcely louder than a whisper.  
  
Harry looked at Theodore for a moment and gave his hand a soft squeeze before opening the door and entering his room, watching Jade the entire time he closed the door.  
  
Draco looked at the ceiling in his room and sighed quietly. He'd had a vision that day of Harry and Jade laying in bed together, their bodies twined at they slept. He sat up, angry at himself for ever believing the boy-who-lived and marched out of his room to go to the Slytherin Common room. He sat in a chair and brooded silently, pretending to read a potion's book.  
  
Pansy blinked when she saw the blonde boy and sighed as she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Draco-baby, what's wrong my love?"  
  
Draco leaned back into his friend's arms. "You ever feel like your insides were becoming your outsides... your outsides were becoming your insides... just...pain... lots and lots of pain..." he replied, setting the book down with a sigh.  
  
"Love...it's a bitch..." Pansy said as she took his book and turned it so that it was readable. "Let me guess...it's your War Mage isn't it..." She smiled when Vincent and Gregory came and sat on the couch next to one another as Millicent and R.I.P. followed.  
  
"You don't even want to hear about it...You know, sometimes I wish that I could just go out and have some completely unattached sex..." he said, seeing Basil enter the Common room and moved over to Vincent.  
  
Pansy looked at Basil and then back to Draco and frowned. "No," she said firmly. "But why? I thought you two were getting along famously...has something happened?" She asked as she looked down at her friend.  
  
"We had different views...," Draco replied with a shrug. "I saw us as a couple, and he didn't."  
  
"I'm confused..." She said, "Did he tell you this? Did he tell you he didn't want to be with you? That he wanted to break up?"  
  
R.I.P. leaned forward. "Who would he be with anyways? He is still totally furious at Jade for whatever he did..."  
  
Draco shrugged. "Well, I'm putting a notice on the board tomorrow... 'Wanted: Boy interested in UNATTACHED boy for a little fun with no strings attached. See Draco Malfoy for details.' I'm going to bed... I'll see you all in Potion's tomorrow..." he said, standing and starting towards the door.  
  
Basil smiled and winked at Pansy as he started after the blonde boy.  
  
"Draco, Wait..." he called as he wrapped an arm around the boys waist and turned him around. "Draco...we may not be on the best terms...after what I did...but I think we should talk..."  
  
Draco sighed quietly. "Basil... I'm really tired..." he said with a small yawn. "What is it?"  
  
"I think you should give you mage the benefit of the doubt before you do something drastic...I know you well and know that when you set you mind to something like revenge, there is only one out come...and it's usually not good." He sighed and let go of the boy. "But I know if I had you back, even for a moment...I'd tell you how much I loved you and worship you every second...I know he feels the same way...He isn't even here to defend himself. Wait to be upset..."  
  
Basil stroked Draco's cheek softly and smiled at him. "I'm so sorry for all I did to you...you were and are the best thing that has ever entered my world of black..." with that Basil flashed the blonde a soft smiled and walked away and disappeared up the dormitory stairs.  
  
Draco sighed quietly and watched the brunette disappear up the stairs. "It'd be nice to feel like I'm appreciated more..." he thought out loud, turning and going back to his rooms to stare at the ceiling again and contemplate the mess he'd made of his life.  
  
After an hour, he gave up and tried to write another letter to his father, who still hadn't replied. 'I hope he's okay...' Draco thought, tying the letter to the leg of a school owl and sending it off.  
  
Jade smiled at Harry across the table from him. "I have a surprise for you," he said.  
  
They were having lunch a week after they'd arrived and Jade had made it a point to show the young war mage how much he loved him.  
  
"Oh?" Midnight asked as he looked up and pushed a stray lock of black hair behind his ear. "What is it? Another one of your attempts at bad poetry?" He asked with a teasing laugh.  
  
Jade faked a hurt look. "No... actually, it was this," he said, holding up a silver necklace that was really one long silver serpent with emerald eyes. He pressed the snake's head and it released it's tail from it's mouth, opening it. "But since you don't want it..."  
  
Midnight looked at it with a sense of awe. "Oh Teddy...but I can't take that...it's to expensive..." he continued to gaze at the beautiful necklace. "I wish I could...I do...but it wouldn't be right..."  
  
"You're right, you can't take this... you insulted my poetry," Theodore teased, sniffing and looking hurt. He stood up and walked around behind Harry. Gently, he lifted the Mage's mass of heavy hair and draped the serpent around Midnight's neck. Immediately, the serpent gave a soft hiss and bit it's tale again, clasping. "Consider it an early Christmas present with more to follow. I'm Jewish. It's Hanukah..." he joked, kissing Midnight's neck softly before going back to his seat.  
  
Harry touched the delicate serpent's body and smiled. "Lotus is going to be amused by this..." He said as he sighed. "But...I'm dating Draco, I can't..." He said mournfully.  
  
He felt strongly for Draco, love might even cover it...he wasn't sure, but he knew he loved Jade, no matter if he was angry or not. Nothing could stop him from loving the green-eyed mage.  
  
Jade looked down and fidgeted with his hands. "I know... just think of it as a peace offering between friends... Let's start all over again..." he said, looking up at Harry.  
  
"Jade...I don't want to start over. I didn't think we were doing to bad...until...but anyways, We are friends at the moment, and starting over is something that can't be done after three years..." Midnight said softly as he continued to stroke the tiny serpent. "But I will keep the necklace and eagerly await the next gift of your eight night celebration..." he laughed softly.  
  
"Just remember, the last one is me in nothing but a bow," he said, grinning. "I'd suggest taking me out from under the tree as soon as possible... the needles begin to hurt quickly..." He felt a wave of relief that Harry didn't want him completely out of his life.  
  
Midnight laughed. "I don't think you'd make it under the tree, Laine would kill you first..."  
  
"Who said that I meant the tree in your room? I was talking about the one in the Cafeteria," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.  
  
"Oh yes, Everyone will love that." He said. "No, you won't expose yourself to everyone like that."  
  
"It's a big bow," he replied, mischief glinting in his eyes. "Unless you want to come and unwrap it in my room..."  
  
"Jade..." Harry warned with a firm look before sighed and looking at his hands. "What would you think of going back to Hogwarts without me..." he asked softly.  
  
"Why? I thought you'd be anxious to see Draco... What's changed?" he asked, tilting his head. He was Harry's friend first and foremost.  
  
"Nothing, I want to see him again, I want to see all my friends again...but the council is uncertain if me going back would be safe for anyone. Aqua told me they may not let me go back..." He sighed and slumped alittle. "If they don't let me go back...what am I going to do?"  
  
"They will... they know that you're one of the best War Mage's that we have... Who else could've fought off full grown werewolves by themselves?" he said, smiling. "They will. Don't worry."  
  
Midnight smiled and nodded. "You have a point..."  
  
"Of course I do. Now, finish your desert and come with me. I have a fun filled day of shopping for us to do," he said, grinning and stretching.  
  
Midnight quickly finished his desert and jumped up. "Ok...Ok lets go shopping..."  
  
Ok! You guys we did it! 100! We did it! Yay! Gives cake to everyone  
  
This is the list of all of the people who have reviewed. :  
  
DarkAngel, angelkitty77, 100!, RainWaters, phoenixgirl2004, Signeus, Elebereth, hiperson, KrondorsAngel, omi wetterwachs, TigerLily Padfoot, Fan Club President, insanechildfanfic, marishamarish, Theoddguy, jadewtch, lady mona, Dreamer, athenakitty, Miss Lesley, Sheree, hjlavery, Mitzu, leemarker81, deni1073, coriel, Dracona, Cassa-Andra, apersonsreasoning, Mikito, Eadon, dark-gin, The Shadow Bandit, michelle, shallie, anniealli, Otaku freak, SlytherinRose, annon, Cheery Wolf, gaul1, marish, GiRliEgIrL6, Phoenix Lumen, anonymous, pixy, Bella Naris, Rarity88, 'Mes, James9, snowlight144, White Rider, darkwitch3, NymphGirl, Liliku, Redmeadow, Keeper Darius, Jess16, Lady Phoenix Slytherin, LoMaRiBa, amythest, clingon87, Nabiki, Yoshi-fan2003, leviathan, Crydwyn, Lady of Mystery and Chaos, fire0ice, jliles, bthatcher2002, Ez, Maxie, Schulyr, fireagnle, jess  
  
And that's everyone With out all of you, non of this would be possible. Continue to review, Thank everyone so much.  
  
Forever Loyal,  
  
Kat == and Vogel  
  
P.S. If anyone wants the un edited version, email me directly. Subject: Fanfiction 


	13. A War Mages Path chapter 13

Chapter 13   
  
Jade knocked on Harry's door and sighed quietly. Last Christmas he'd woken Harry up from inside his bed. It was kind of depressing to see the boy's room from the outside when normally he'd be seeing it from the inside. He smiled, though, because he was on the way back into Harry's life and his bed.  
  
Hellaine's sleepy voice came closer to the door. "Jade, If you are wearing a trench coat and a bow, you aren't coming in...now identify your clothing..."  
  
Jade laughed. "I'm wearing a St. Nicholas suit. The bow is tucked safely in the pants," he said, smiling.  
  
Quicksilver opened the door to see that he was telling the truth. He was wearing a magenta Santa suite with jade green fur trimming. His boots were green and he was caring a green bag with a magenta bow tied around it.  
  
Jade smiled and gave Quicksilver a small silver cat stuffed animal. "Merry Christmas, Quicksilver," he said, stepping into the room.  
  
Quicksilver wanted to throw the present over her shoulder and never look at it again, but after holding it for a moment, she giggled and held it to her chest tightly as she bounced around. "Its so cute...it even has alittle bell....awww" she bounced onto her bed and giggled again.  
  
Jade sat on the edge of Midnight's bed and gently stroked his cheek. He heard a hiss, and looked to see Lotus raising her head in defense. He held his hands up and backed away from the Mage. "Harry... wake up, Harry," he said, standing and holding out a small box that was wrapped in a silver ribbon.  
  
Midnight groaned and turned over. "Go away...to early...no training, it's Christmas..."  
  
"That's too bad... I guess you don't want your Christmas present or to untie my bow..." Jade said, leaning down to nip gently at Harry's ear.  
  
Harry blinked awake and smiled. "Jade... no...but sit with me..." He said with a laugh, sitting up and smiling sleepily at his ex-lover.  
  
"I would, but your snake is in my spot, love," he said, smiling and holding out the box again. "Merry Christmas, Harry."  
  
Harry hissed at Lotus and took the box. When she didn't move he hissed at her again. She turned and hissed at Jade before slowly slithering to the foot of the bed.  
  
Jade sat and slipped an arm around Harry's waist as he watched the Mage open the box. Inside was a silver ring with the words 'I love you forever' engraved on the inside. Jade had also slipped a delicate silver chain through the ring so that Harry could wear it around his neck. "I was going to give it to you as an engagement ring... but I think it'd be more suited as a token of my affection..." he whispered, bowing his head and staring at it.  
  
Harry didn't know what to do...he was torn. If he took it, it would be like accepting Jade fully back into his life and be a sign of promises if given time might fulfill themselves. He looked up at Jade then back at the ring. He slowly reached out and touched the metal and closed his eyes in indecision.  
  
Draco yawned and opened his eyes. He lay there for a few minutes, his arms curled around Mr. Turtle. "I hope Tony got my present," he said out loud, slipping out from under the covers and into his slippers. He grabbed his bathrobe and pulled it on over his loose pants. He shuffled out of his room and made his way to the Slytherin Common room to exchange presents with his fellow Slytherins.  
  
Bail smiled when he saw the blonde boy enter the common room. "Good morning Draco, come to socialize?"  
  
Draco smiled at Basil and reached into his bag. He pulled out a small package and gave it to the boy. "Merry Christmas, Basil," he said, sitting on the couch.  
  
Basil blinked and smiled softly as he reached under the fake tree by the fire and handed Draco a medium sized box with silver wrapping paper and a green velvet ribbon. "For you my dragon..."  
  
Draco shook his head at the nickname and took the box. "I haven't heard that since fifth year...I hope you like it..." he said, smiling at the boy sitting next to him.  
  
"Do you not like it?" Basil asked and he began to open the neatly wrapped package.  
  
"I do. You're the only one that ever calls me that," he replied, slowly sliding the ribbon from the package. He opened the paper next and smiled when he saw a soft green stuffed dragon. He pulled it out and stroked the slightly stiff spines. "Thank you, Basil. This is beautiful..." He looked into it's ice blue eyes and looked back at Basil, his smile soft and sweet.  
  
Basil smiled back. "I hoped you'd like it. If you tap its nose with your wand it flies and roars. My cousin is a toy maker and I asked him to make it for you..."  
  
"It's wonderful..." Draco said. He watched as Basil finished opening his present. "I know it's not much..."  
  
Basil's box contained a silver bracelet. The bracelet was a silver dragon with tiny scales engraved onto its body. Folded on its back were a set of large black green tinted wings that formed a heart if you looked at it right.  
  
"I thought you'd like it..." Draco said softly as he looked down and continued to stroke the dragon's spines.  
  
Basil smiled as he put it on and flexed his hand and the dragon's head settled on his middle finger. "Draco, it's beautiful...but I didn't think you'd get me anything, you really didn't have to..."  
  
Draco smiled. "I know... Consider it my way of forgiving you..." he said, looking up at Basil.  
  
Basil touched the bracelet and sighed. "I don't deserve to be forgiven for what I've done..."  
  
"No, you don't, but I miss how we used to talk. You were a good friend.... I miss that," Draco said, smiling at the boy. "Besides, who else am I going to have to tease Snape with?"  
  
Basil laughed and looked up at the blonde. "Well...there is always your lover..." He said as he passed Draco a tightly wrapped rectangle. "I think it's a book...just a guess..."  
  
Draco laughed and took the present. "To Draco from Midnight," he read, ripping off the packaging. It was a black leather journal with a griffin and a dragon intertwined on the cover. Draco smiled and opened the silver edged book with a sigh. It didn't quite make up for not having Harry there, but it was a beautiful journal none the less.  
  
"What did you get him?" Basil asked as he looked at the journal.  
  
"A stuffed animal that looks exactly like his pet snake. Nothing as beautiful as you got me..." he said, grinning at the boy. "Come on, let's get you some of the eggnog and cider. I know it's bound to be spiked by now... I'll just settle for the bottles of butterbeer."  
  
Basil smiled and shook his head. "I stopped drinking before the beginning of sixth year. After I lost you..." He said as he stood and offered a hand to the blonde. "I decided after I had sobered up that if drinking lost you I would change and try to win you back and treat you as I should've..."  
  
Draco smiled at the boy. He took his hand and stood up, releasing it once he was steady on his feet. "Then we'll both have butterbeer and watch the rest of the Slytherins totter around drunk," he said, blushing slightly. 'If he'd only acted like this years ago... I wouldn't have to worry about Harry going back with Jade... But I'd loose the great thing I have with Harry... I really do love him... But Basil is so sweet now...' he thought, leading the boy to the table, his presents held tightly in his arms.  
  
"Sounds like a plan..." Basil said as he flexed his hand again and took two butterbeers, handing one to Draco.  
  
Jade smiled at Harry as they appeared at Hogwarts. He grabbed his bags and waited for Harry. Nightwish rushed past them, bouncing down the hall. "Come on," he said, motioning towards the dungeons.  
  
"Nightwish, you silly boy, You'll ruin your surprise..." Midnight called as he grabbed his bag and smiled at Jade as he quickly followed the bouncing blue haired mage.  
  
Draco was sitting in his room quietly writing in his journal when he was tackled from behind. His eyes widened as he looked up into a pair of orange eyes. "Tony?" he asked softly, a grin suddenly appearing on his lips.  
  
"Nope," The mage giggled brightly. "Nightwish..." He got up and bounded into the middle of the room Showing off his colors. "What do you think?"  
  
Draco laughed and got up. "I think I missed you and you look great!" he said, pulling the boy into a fierce hug. "How was your Christmas? Did you get the stuffed bunny I sent you?"  
  
"Yup! Hoppums, is so cute..." He smiled and looked to the door way. "Midnight, Jade, guess what? He likes my colors!"  
  
Midnight smiled as he leaned against the doorway and watched the two roommates. "Well, why wouldn't he?"  
  
Draco held out his hand to Midnight and smiled softly. "I missed you," he said, memorizing every detail of the Mage's face.  
  
Harry smiled and set his suitcase down on the floor as he moved over to the blonde trainee. "Hey you... how was your Christmas?" he asked softly.  
  
Draco wrapped his arms around Harry, not caring that their relationship was taboo. "Lonely without you..." he said before gently kissing Midnight. He felt the world was right again as the Mage's lips pressed against his own, returning the kiss.  
  
Midnight smiled and chuckled when Lotus hissed in annoyance. Harry pulled back and hissed his apologies as the disgruntled snake unwrapped herself from his waist and slithered out the door, hissing angrily at Jade as she went.  
  
Draco smiled. "Well, what's got her all in a tissy?" he asked, relaxing his arms around Harry's waist.  
  
"Her and my necklace are at odds and you touched her...she doesn't want to be touched right now, she's angry at me..." He said as he kissed Draco again and smiled up at him. "SO, what did you get for Christmas..."  
  
"A stuffed dragon and your journal. I also got a stuffed orange rat from Nightwish," he said, kissing Harry again just to feel his lips. "What did you get?"  
  
"I got to celebrate Hanukah this year." He said laughing slightly. "Come on, I'll tell you while we fly..."  
  
Draco grabbed his broom and a white sweater. He held his hand up to Midnight, waving good bye to Tony. "Mr. Turtle is under my pillow!" he said as he left to go out to the Quidditich pitch.  
  
"Jade, Could you take my suitcase to my room please?" Midnight called, as he was drug out of the room.  
  
"Sure," Jade said, smiling and grabbing the bag. He sighed as Midnight disappeared around the corner. 'At least he's wearing my ring, not Draco's,' he thought, cheering himself slightly.  
  
Draco mounted his broom and smiled at Midnight, offering him a hand up. "I've missed you lots," he said.  
  
"And I missed you, Lotus loved the plush toy you got of her." He replied as he climbed on and wrapped his arms around Draco's waist.  
  
Draco moved out onto the lake and circled it. "I'm glad... I was hoping it would go over well with your guardian..." Draco teased, smiling.  
  
"She thought it was cute and won't let me have it...she sleeps wrapped around it." Midnight said as he lay his head on Draco's back. "Do you like my present?"  
  
"Yes. I wrote in it all break. I wrote things like, 'His eyes are like shining silver stars, haunting my every waking moment.' You know. Just things like that..." he said, raising Harry's hand to his lips and kissing it softly.  
  
"Did they really?" Harry asked with a laugh. "Well, at least you didn't forget me..."  
  
"Of course I didn't forget you. Thought about you all the time. I even swooned once or twice at the thought of your eyes and lips," he said, sounding completely serious.  
  
Midnight laughed and kissed Draco's shoulder. "That's a good thing to know... I'll make sure to kiss you more to give you more to think about...by the way, did you ever get a hold of your father?"  
  
"No, and that worries me. Normally he'll send me a Christmas card or something but nothing this year. And he didn't respond to any of my letters. It's not normal. He normally sends me at least one a week..." Draco said, frowning.  
  
Midnight frowned and thought of the body the Tracking Mages had found near Wales. "Where does your family live my love?"  
  
"Wales. What... You know something. Please tell me," Draco said, turning his upper body around to see the Mage.  
  
Harry blinked and shook his head. "Sorry, I know nothing, I was just wondering if the Owls got lost or were intercepted in along the way..."  
  
Draco sighed and slumped. "My father is really the only relative that I'm close to in my family. My mother has always hated him for forcing her into their marriage... "He said, a cold, hard note entering into his voice. "One of the only things that he's ever done to spite her back is to get the Basalik tattoo on his back. She flipped when she found out about it. Yelled at him like he was a child until he stunned her into oblivion..."  
  
Harry laughed at the image and sighed when he realized what time it was. " We should get back, dinner in a few minuets..."  
  
Draco nodded as his thoughts stayed on his father. He was worried, and he had a feeling that Harry knew more than he was telling. He started back towards the castle, cutting a path across the middle of the lake. "If you knew something about my father.... You would tell me, right?" he asked, making a mental note to visit the manor over the weekend.  
  
"Of course, Why would I keep something like that from you?" Harry asked as he nuzzled closer to Draco.  
  
Draco stopped at the front step to the castle and allowed Harry to dismount. When he was off, Draco slid off the broom and smiled at him. He kissed him again, slipping an arm around the Mage. "Never mind... I'm just being silly," he said, taking Harry's hand and leading him back into the castle.  
  
"Where will you be after dinner?" Midnight asked as they approached the Great Hall.  
  
"In my room... Will you join me tonight?" he asked, smiling and wiggling his eyebrows.  
  
Midnight laughed and stepped closer to the blonde, lowering his voice suggestively. "I would...but I thought you'd want to catch up with Nightwish..." He smiled and fixed his hair and adjusted the snake around his neck. "But I'll stop by for alittle while..."  
  
Draco smiled and kissed Harry's neck softly. "Go ahead and go to your room. I'll be there a little bit later," Draco said, nipping at the Mage's earlobe.  
  
Midnight smiled and walked into the Great Hall and smiled at his friends as he walked up to the teacher's table and sat between Jade and Quicksilver. He smiled when he saw that Quicksilver was still hugging the pale gray cat doll that Jade had given her for Christmas.  
  
Draco sat next to Basil and smiled at his friend. "Guess what?" he said, grinning.  
  
"What my love?" Basil asked as he began piling mashed potatoes and beef, with a good helping of broccoli onto Draco's plate, then doing the same to his own.  
  
Draco's eyes widened at the amount of food, but he nodded his thanks and began eating. "I get to go to the Manor this weekend. Would you like to join me?" he asked, smiling at Basil.  
  
"You know I love your father, I'd love to go with you..." He said with a smile as he looked at the blonde and laughed as he grabbed a napkin and wiped a smear of gravy off his cheek. "Such a messy eater..." He said with a soft smile.  
  
Draco laughed and smeared gravy on Basil's mouth. "HA! You're messier than I am," he teased, a wicked gleam in his ice blue eyes.  
  
Basil looked at Draco and slowly licked the creamy gravy off his lips. "What are you going to do with me?" he joked as he continued eating and glanced up at the teacher's table.  
  
Draco smiled. "Beat you with a stick while you sleep. You get your choice of sticks. Willow or Oak?" he said, taking a sip of his pumpkin juice.  
  
"Take your pick love..." He said as he frowned. "Hey Draco, your boyfriend's leaving..." He said as he watch Midnight and Jade stand and leave the Great Hall through a side entrance, The others following behind them.  
  
Draco looked up and nodded. He went back to his dinner and smiled at Basil, though it was a bit strained. "Thanks for coming with me this weekend. I'm really worried about my dad. He hasn't written back to any of my letters," Draco said, worry in his voice.  
  
"I'm happy to go with you, but I'm surprised you're not inviting Midnight to go with you..." He said as he looked over at the blonde. "Don't worry dragon, everything will be fine, Your father is fine my love...and if not, we will handle it together..."  
  
Draco laughed and looked at Basil. "You're pet names are getting more original by the day, Basil. It's quite interesting. Midnight has things he has to do. Mage stuff. Plus, he has to make the lesson plans for the next few weeks. And, if anyone else knows the Manor and grounds as well as I do, it's you. I need an unbiased opinion from someone who's been there. You," he said, poking a forkful of pie into the boy's mouth.  
  
Basil looked surprised for a moment, then smiled and pulled the fork out of his mouth, pie gone and fork clean. "Well since you put it that way..."  
  
"Aqua...do you remember the body the Tracking Mages found over the holiday?" Midnight asked as he sat on his bed and pulled off his shoes.  
  
"The hairless one?" Aqua asked calmly, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"Yes," Midnight nodded and moved further onto the bed. "Do you remember if it had any marks or coloring on it?"  
  
"I believe it had a tattoo of a Basalik on it's back. A green and silver one if I do remember correctly," she replied. "Do you know who it might be?"  
  
Midnight nodded slowly. "I believe the body is of the late Lucius Malfoy...although it doesn't make any sense...I just read in the paper that Lucius was heading up the Dark Wizarding searches...." He frowned in thought and played with the ring Jade had given him, moving it back and forth over the long silver chain.  
  
"No one is to tell Draco of this. It's just a theory, although it's one of the best that we have. I'll get in touch with headquarters tonight and see what they've found out. Is there any other business?" she asked, looking around the assembly of Mages, smiling slightly when she saw Nightwish.  
  
"I have news, I have news...!" He said jumping up and down, hugging the pink bunny close to his chest.  
  
"Yes, Nightwish?" Aqua said, smiling at the new Mage. "Congratulations, by the way. Your new colors fit you very well."  
  
Tony smiled and stopped bouncing. "I know who my mate is..." he said simply, beaming brightly.  
  
"Who is it?" Bloodlust said, raising an eyebrow and contemplating crucifying the pink bunny in Nightwish's arms.  
  
"My roommate..." He said with a smile. "Hey, aren't you dating him Midnight?" he asked with a blink.  
  
Harry laughed and nodded. "Yes, yes I am, but I am happy you will come into your full powers soon."  
  
"From what I hear, he's a good lover," Quicksilver said, smiling at Midnight. "I hear it at least twice a night. He's even louder with Draco than when he was with Jade." She stroked her cat, smiling innocently.  
  
Midnight gasped and from white to red in a matter of seconds. "QUICKSILVER!" He said in shock as he looked down at his feet out of embarrassment.  
  
"What?" she asked, blinking at her roommate. "Can I help you with anything?"  
  
Jade turned beet red and looked at the door, suddenly finding it very interesting.  
  
"Well... hmm. Yes. If that's all the new business we should all get some sleep. Dismissed," she said, leaving the room to hide the smile that threatened to break free.  
  
"Quicksilver...I hate you..." Midnight said weakly as he lay back and closed his eyes, hoping that he would spontaneously combust and die.  
  
"Why?" she asked, blinking back tears. "I didn't say anything that wasn't true...."  
  
Tony bounced from the room, going to his to tell Draco the good news. He was followed out of the room by Bloodlust and a cherry red Jade.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow, love," Jade said, closing the door.  
  
Harry moaned softly and buried his head under his pillow, distinctly ignoring a hiss of agreement from Lotus.  
  
Tony giggled as he bounced into his room. "Drake..." he called, looking around and not seeing him. "Well I'll have to surprise him then..." he said to himself as he set about getting dressed in something his brother had given him before he'd left. "I hope he likes it..."  
  
Draco walked into his bedroom and stretched. "Tony?" he called, shutting the door and sitting on his bed to take off his shoes and socks. He laid back and closed his eyes, laying an arm over them.  
  
"Yes?" Tony asked as he leaned against the doorway to their bathroom.  
  
Draco turned over onto his stomach and blinked at his roommate. Tony was wearing a sheer navy blue robe that did nothing to hide his wonderful figure and a matching pair of sheer pants that clung seductively to his body. Draco swallowed. "Umm... Tony, what's going on?" he asked, swallowing again.  
  
"Do you like it?" He asked softly, his voice low and husky as he walked forward slowly, his hips swaying suggestively.  
  
"It's lovely. Very beautiful. What's the occasion?" he asked, sitting up on his bed and leaning against the cool wall. He stared at the Spirit Mage, feeling his lust increase tenfold. "Tony... not with that emotion... please."  
  
Tony let the hold on Draco's emotions go and smiled when he felt the lust still there on its own. "I found my mate..." He said softly as he moved onto the bed and crawled forward on his hands and knees.  
  
Draco swallowed hard. "Really? Who is it?" he asked, moving back. He'd seen Tony's every emotion from crying to throwing things, but he'd never seen the boy look as seductive and beautiful as he did right now.  
  
"Mmm...a frightened young trainer mage pressed against a white wall..." he whispered as he leaned down and nipped at Draco's toes before continuing his slow stalk up the boy's body.  
  
Draco swallowed again. "Are you sure I'm your mate?" he asked, fighting down his raging hormones. His body was screaming for him to rip off the Mage's clothes and take him right there.  
  
"Yes, I felt it when I touched you that first day we met, but I had no Idea what it was until I touched you today, it was like electricity running through my body...if only for a brief moment," he pause. "But if you don't want me..."  
  
Draco smiled. Not want him... that was laughable. Tony was the most desirable creature on the face of the planet aside from Midnight. "Does Midnight know?" he asked softly, reaching out to stroke the boy's soft navy blue hair, remembering how his blonde hair looked. 'He looks better with the blue hair...' he decided, running a thumb over the Mage's eyebrow.  
  
"Yes, I told everyone about an hour ago...Midnight was happy for me..." Tony said with a smiled as he kissed Draco's palm softly. "He really likes you, you know..."  
  
"Yes, I know..." Draco felt a little uneasy about betraying Midnight, but knew that he would understand. He was mated to Sonar, after all. He leaned down and gently kissed the boy, feeling electricity shoot between the two of them. He smiled and shifted Tony onto his back, never breaking their kiss as he moved to kneel over the Mage. "You look beautiful..." he whispered, smiling and staring into Tony's orange eyes.  
  
"My brother gave it to me...he wore one just like it when he went to Midnight for the first time...I hoped you would like it..." He replied, smiling softly and tugging Draco down to kiss him again.  
  
Draco slowly woke up, feeling the warmth of Tony's body wrapped around him. He gently kissed the boy's kiss swollen lips. "Tony... Wake up, Tony," he said, nuzzling his neck.  
  
"I'm sleeping..." He said as he reached around to find one of his stuffed animals.  
  
Draco moved closer to the boy and kissed his neck softly, just below his ear. "Mmm... but you must wake up and show me all of your new powers..." he said, nipping at the soft skin. Tony's body was different from Midnight's. It was slightly softer and rounder. Draco slid his hands down the boy's side, deciding that he really did like the softness of Tony's body.  
  
Nightwish yawned and blinked until he was looking up into Draco's eyes. "My powers...oh yes..." He smiled and kissed Draco. "Let me shower and dress and I'll show you."  
  
Draco nodded and stretched, stroking Nightwish's side. "Mmm... I shall shower after you get out," he declared. "And I'm hiding Mr. Turtle while you're in there." He grinned wickedly.  
  
Nightwish sighed dramatically and got up. "Then I guess I'll just have to shower all by my self...maybe I'll take Hoppums with me...I'm sure he'd like a shower as well..." He moved over to his bed and picked up the pink bunny, walking away slowly.  
  
Draco smiled and got up, rescuing the bunny from it's dunking. He tugged it out of Tony's arms and set it back on the boy's pillow. "Come on... I'll help you wash..." he leered at the boy, tugging him towards the bathroom.  
  
A shower and two scrubbings later, Tony bounced out of the bathroom, toweling his hair and body as he went.  
  
"Quicksilver was right..." He said as he opened a large wardrobe that had been brought in during dinner the day before.  
  
'I have no idea how he still has all that energy....' Draco said, grinning at the boy. "Right about what, Tony?" he asked, wrapping a towel around his waist and leaning back on his bed.  
  
"My energy has always been high..." Tony commented offhandedly as he pulled out a blue sleeveless shirt and a pair of loose pants with an orange sash and orange slippers. "And Quicksilver said that you must be good because Midnight was louder with you than he ever was with Jade..."  
  
Draco's eyes widened and he blushed. He coughed slightly and sat up, clearing his throat. "Well... yes. Since you're only my second lover ever in my life, I'll take that as a compliment. You can read minds?" he said, changing the subject quickly.  
  
"Yep!" Tony giggled as he leapt onto the bed and grabbed his stuffed turtle. "That's why no one begrudges a Spirit Mage their mate, even where they are dating said mate. Our only use is to tell if someone is lying... We are ok to have around then.... Other than that we are used for research..." He said with a face that said he clearly despised that job.  
  
Draco laughed and stood up, dropping his towel and going to his wardrobe. "I could never see you sitting still long enough to research properly. You're much too active," he said, reaching for a pair of plain white boxer shorts. 'I can't wait for color...' he thought with a sigh.  
  
Tony laughed at the thought and smiled. "You know, you'll have to get used to calling me Nightwish...only in privet and around the other mages here can you call me by my real name..." he sighed. "You know, it's funny, but I never thought anyone would know my name when I got older...well at least I never thought I'd tell my mate, thought I'd end up like my brother..."  
  
Draco pulled on his boxers and went to sit next to the Mage. "Nightwish..." he said, rolling the name around on his tongue. "I like the name, but you'll always be Tony to me..." He gently kissed the boy and pulled the Spirit Mage onto his lap. "But I promise I'll never tell a soul who you really are and I'll be very careful to call you Nightwish in public."  
  
"Good..." Tony grinned and kissed the blonde again. "Did you know that Midnight and my brother have never exchanged names? I think that would be just terrible..."  
  
"Why haven't they?" he asked, tilting his head to look down at the boy.  
  
"Because Midnight doesn't love my brother and is only with him to give him power. In some ways they love one another, but they aren't in love...Midnight only tells the people closest to him his name. Its surprising that you know his real name...he must really love you..." Tony said with a smile as he yawned and got off the bed. "Ok, get dressed you, I'll see you at Breakfast, Midnight is coming this way..." He smiled and waved as he bounced out of the room, placing the turtle on his bed again.  
  
Draco laid back on Tony's bed and closed his eyes. 'Bye Tony!' he thought, yawning and stretching. He heard the door open and close and smiled up at Midnight. "Good morning, Midnight..." he said, sitting up and looking at the boy for any signs of anger or resentment.  
  
Midnight laughed. "Using my mage name are we? What have I done?" he asked as he pushed his hair over his shoulder and placing his hands on his leather clad hips as he smiled down at the blonde boy.  
  
With a smile, Draco pulled Midnight down to him and kissed him gently. "You looked too good in those pants. It should be a crime," he teased, nipping at the boy's bottom lip.  
  
Harry chuckled. "I'm sure it is somewhere..." he mumbled as he kissed the boy and pulled away. "You. Dressed. Now..."  
  
Draco smiled and stood up, pulling Midnight into his arms and kissing him again. "Can't I undress you?" he teased, grinning.  
  
"Sure, later tonight when I don't have to worry about getting back into my pants..." He replied and he smiled up at Draco teasingly.  
  
Draco laughed and walked over to his wardrobe. "What do you think.... The white shirt with the white pants... or the white pants with the white shirt?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at Harry.  
  
"Missing colors yet?" Midnight asked with a laugh as he fixed his hair.  
  
"Oh no... In fact, I've begun to dream in black and white..." he said as he pulled on a pair of pants and slipped on a white shirt.  
  
"Careful...that's how it started with Quicksilver and you see what her colors turned out like..." Midnight teased as he looked at his nails.  
  
Draco pulled on his socks and shoes. "Ah yes, I do remember to be careful. My school robe keeps me sane..." he said, smiling and slipping on the black garment.  
  
"The Gryffindor colors kept me going for a good moth before I threw all those values out the window and started becoming the mage I am today..." He said with a smile. "Well, are you ready?"  
  
"Yes," Draco said, grabbing his bag and kissing Midnight passionately. He slipped his tongue over the boy's lips teasingly before pulling away and walking to the door, holding it open for Midnight. "Shall we?"  
  
"We shall..." He said as he walked by and winked at Draco before continuing on his way.  
  
Draco followed, slipping his arm around Midnight's waist. He noticed a shiny silver necklace and picked it up. "I love you forever..." he read, frowning slightly. "Who's this from?" he asked, looking up at Midnight.  
  
"A Christmas gift from Jade, one of the eight gifts of Hanukah..." He said with a laugh. "Don't worry about it love..." He said as he took the Necklace and tucked it back into his shirt.  
  
Draco nodded, lowering his arm to his side. He pulled a small package out of his bag and handed it to Midnight. "I figured that since Lotus took your other present, I'd get you something else," he said quietly, smiling at the boy. 'So my vision was more right than I thought...' he thought to himself, trying to push his jealously to the side. 'It's just how the system works, I guess...'  
  
Harry smiled and kissed Draco softly on the cheek as he opened it to reveal a long silver dagger with a Griffin on one side of the handle and a dragon on the other. "Its beautiful..." He said softly.  
  
"I thought you'd like it..." he said. He still felt distinctly uncomfortable with the thought of Jade's ring on Harry's body, but he reminded himself that he'd just been with Tony. 'No matter what happens, I know Tony will be there for me... and I'll be there for him...' he vowed, sighing inwardly. 'I just wish that I had the same faith in Midnight...' He moved to the Slytherin table as he reached the Great Hall, frowning slightly and grabbing some toast as he took out his potion's essay for next week. "Was it moonstone or lodestone..." he mumbled, skimming his elegant writing.  
  
Nightwish laughed and sat beside his blonde mate. "That's a nice thought, but he loves you and you'll ruin by not trusting him, he's just confused..."  
  
Draco leaned over and kissed the boy's cheek. "Nightwish, I love you but stay out of my mind," he said with a wink. "Well, stay out of it most of the time..." He grinned. "I have a proposition for you."  
  
"And that is?" He asked as he smiled and began to eat.  
  
"Will you come with Basil and myself this weekend? We're going to visit my father," he said, smiling at the aforementioned blonde as he walked into the Great Hall.  
  
"Have you invited Midnight?" He asked with a tilt of his head.  
  
"No. I'm just going to say hello and exchange presents. Basil has known my father for years, and I wanted to bring you along so you could help me... Something is wrong with my father... and Midnight doesn't trust me with what he knows, so I'm going there to find out what it is," Draco said, smiling at Basil as he sat down. "Morning, Basil."  
  
Nightwish bit his lip and looked at his hands. "I have to go..." He said quickly and kissed Draco's cheek. "Brushfire is calling me..." With that he stood and went up to the teacher's table and sat next to the pink haired mage.  
  
'Tony, promise me that you won't tell anyone that I'm leaving....' Draco thought, looking at his navy blue haired mate. 'Please. They're not trusting me and my father is very important...'  
  
'Draco...I love you with all my heart...and I'll go with you if Aqua says I can...but I...nevermind...eat...' he thought back with a smile as he looked at Midnight and began to talk with him with a smile.  
  
Draco sighed and looked at his bowl of porridge morosely, picking at it with his spoon and getting lost in thought. He didn't even notice the piece of toast that was still in his opposite hand or the essay that he was dripping butter from the toast on.  
  
"Aqua..."Tony said quietly. "I have to talk to you..."  
  
"Yes, Nightwish? What can I do for you?" the elegant looking woman asked from her seat by the fire.  
  
"The body....has it been confirmed who it is?" He asked softly so that no one else would hear him, despite the fact that no one else was in the room.  
  
"From Midnight's description of the tattoo and from dental records, yes. It's Lucius Malfoy," she said sadly. "I was just contemplating whether or not to tell Draco..."  
  
"He is going to go to his house over the weekend and asked me to go with him...He won't ask Midnight because he knows that Midnight won't tell him anything...I think it would be best if I went and Midnight followed. Only Midnight...Brushfire says that anyone else would be to easily captured, but that since Midnight is the best he could stay out of the way until precise time..." He sighed. "I can't read her well, but I feel as if I agree, Midnight would be able to take down whatever threat there might be and comfort Draco while I bring the threat back, alive if we can..."  
  
"I think Draco should be told of his father's death before he leaves. It will prepare him more for the battles ahead. If Lucius Malfoy is indeed dead, then Draco is the sole heir to the Malfoy fortune," she said with a sigh.  
  
"But him knowing would make him act differently. Don't you think that the Lucius impostor would have studied Lucius's behavior to act just like him? He would know if Draco was acting odd...He know to be prepared for something, but him knowing would throw off our advantage, he would be expecting someone to follow him..." He blushed. "I'm sorry, it's just a thought..."  
  
"And a good one, but I've never been one to send anyone into a situation that they were blind to. Draco may be a Seer Mage in training, but I still believe that he can handle himself as any adult would. If he didn't know and then found out there, it would add an unstable element to the situation that wouldn't bode well for the outcome. You have good reasoning, but I'm still going to tell him. You may go with him, Nightwish, but he will know that his father is dead," Aqua said, standing and preparing to leave. "Will you accompany me? I believe that he's still at lessons."  
  
"Should we call Midnight as well...or will I be enough?" He asked softly. "And will you send Midnight with us, in case?"  
  
"I'll discuss Midnight's mission with him later, but yes, he will go with," Aqua said, opening the door and allowing Tony to leave first.  
  
"Yes ma'am..." he said as he moved past her and straight to the D.A.D.A class.  
  
Draco sat quietly in the back, writing his essays for the next week. He sighed quietly and smiled at Vincent and Greg. "Was it Moonstone, or Lodestone?" he asked, tapping his foot on the floor and finishing his D.A.D.A. essay for Thursday.  
  
"Moonstone," Midnight answered as he walked by and kissed his cheek before checking over his work and nodding. "Very good, two points to Slytherin for the extra points on the Pixie language..."  
  
He was just turning to leave when the door opened and Aqua stepped in and looked at him.  
  
"I need to see Mr. Malfoy, please," she said, nodding to Draco.  
  
Midnight nodded. "Of course, Draco, you know the assignments..."  
  
Draco nodded and got up, gathering his belongings and slipping them into his bag. He stepped past the rows of quietly staring students and out into the hallway, closing the door softly behind him. When he saw Tony, he sighed quietly, knowing the boy had told Aqua. 'I still love you,' he thought, slinging his bag over his shoulder.  
  
'I'm sorry...you needed to know...' He thought back as he followed the War Mage and steeped into an empty classroom.  
  
"Mister Malfoy, I suggest you sit down..." Aqua said calmly as she dusted off an old leather chair and sat down.  
  
"No thank you, ma'am. I would feel more comfortable on my feet," Draco replied, shifting his bag.  
  
"Alright then, straight to the point. Your father's body was found in a wooded area of Wales over the winter holiday. It had been there for quite some time and we were unable to identify it right away. Through the bodies dental records and some well timed information from our own dear Midnight, that you yourself gave him, we were able to identify the body of the late Lucius Malfoy. Until today we were unable to say anything until we had confirmed our information. That is why Midnight said nothing to you." She said casually as she gave the boy a sympathetic look.  
  
Draco's face was impassive as he received the news. The only sign that he was effected was a slight shift in his school bag. Mentally, he screamed a cry of anguish that almost blocked out his senses. His father had always been there for him, and now he was gone. Taken by someone. "I'm still going to the Manor this weekend. I've already written my father's impostor of my impending visit and to change that would give them the upper hand," he said, voice rock steady. He looked at Aqua coolly, all of his pain and hurt hidden behind his ice blue eyes.  
  
"I agree, that is why I am asking that you still take Nightwish with you. He is a Spirit Mage, but he does know I few moves if the situation calls for it." Aqua said softly. "Please go back to your rooms, you are done with classes for the day..."  
  
"Yes, ma'am," he said, bowing and walking with carefully controlled, normal steps to the door and down the hall.  
  
Nightwish tried to talk to him, but found himself blocked from all of the raging emotions running though Draco's mind. "What should I do miss?" he asked softly.  
  
"Leave him to his grief for a while... When he calms slightly, then go to him," Aqua said, placing a soothing hand on the Spirit Mage's shoulder. "He handles himself well. It was good to tell him before he left." She nodded to Tony and left the room, going back to the D.A.D.A. classroom to retrieve Midnight so she could talk to him about his mission.  
  
Midnight looked up when the door opened again and nodded when the tall lady beckoned him to follow her. When they reached her rooms, Harry sat down and looked at her.  
  
"Yes ma'am?"  
  
"Draco's been told of his father's death. I'm assigning you to assassinate the impostor. He's going there this weekend, and I want you to follow the three of them. It's Nightwish, Draco and a seventh year Hogwarts student named Basil that will be going. Protect them as much as possible, but do not let your presence be known to anyone but Nightwish," she instructed bluntly.  
  
Harry nodded and stood. "I'll do as you ask. After I figure out why Lucius was killed." He said. "I'm leaving to comfort Draco, he doesn't need to be alone with his thoughts for to long..."  
  
Aqua nodded and sat in one of her fireside chairs. "Be careful, Midnight," she said. "He's going to be slightly volatile for a while..."  
  
Draco stood under the spray of the shower, letting the hot water soothe away all his tenseness. He'd figured his father was dead for a while, but it still hurt. 'At least you know...' he thought, sighing.  
  
"Draco..." Harry called as he pulled back his hair and put on his glasses, knowing that Draco would be more comfortable with him in his glasses. "Draco my love..." he walked into the bathroom and watched him silently.  
  
Draco turned off the water and grabbed a towel. "Yeah?" he asked, sounding completely normal, if not a bit mechanical.  
  
"Come here..." Harry said, holding out his arms and watching the boy closely.  
  
Draco tucked his towel in securely and walked over to the Mage, slipping his arms around Harry and laying his head on top of the boy's. "What can I do for you, Harry?" he asked, stroking the Mage's hair.  
  
"Nothing my love, you can let me hold you while you grieve...You can let me tell you how beautiful you are and how much I love you..." He whispered, looking up into Draco's emotion filled gaze though his fogging glasses.  
  
Draco smiled and blanked out his eyes. "I'm fine. Come on. Let's get you out of here before you can't see anything..." he said, pulling the Mage up and out of the hot bathroom. He released Harry's hand and went to his wardrobe to grab a pair of white boxers.  
  
Somehow it felt wrong to wear white when his father was freshly dead. Normally, he would have worn nothing but black for the full year's mourning. 'Trading one color for the other..' he thought, dropping his towel and moving to pull on the shorts.  
  
"No," Harry said moving over to his and stopping him. "If you do that, if you hide your emotions, I'll leave. By putting on white, you are disgracing your father's death and hiding you emotions. Becoming another person, a person with out a family and no hurt...no heartbreak...you can't do that forever..."  
  
Draco looked over at Harry. "Unfortunately, I don't have any other color to wear," he said, holding the shorts. "It's either the white, or I spend the rest of my day cold and naked or attached to my bed. I do need to eat at some point..." He allowed a small hint of pained amusement to enter his eyes.  
  
"Then I shall keep you in bed for the rest of the day and have food sent up." He said softly, taking off his shirt and letting it pool on the floor at his feet. His jewelry followed, including the ring that Jade had given him. When he reached his pants he smiled and began to unbutton them.  
  
Draco set the white shorts back into the wardrobe and shut the door. He watched as Harry slid the pants off of his body, smiling slightly as they caught on his heavy boots. Draco knelt down, his wet hair dripping onto the carpet with soft thuds. He unlaced the boots and slipped them off, the Mage's socks and pants soon following. He stood up and grabbed Harry's hand, leading him back to his bed and slipping under the covers.  
  
Harry laughed and blushed. "You think I'd know to take the boots off first with as much as I randomly strip in the hallways when cute blondes aren't listening to me..."  
  
Draco smiled and looked up at the boy. He pulled the covers down slightly, allowing the Mage room to lay down. "You'd think so... but sometimes we forget these things," he said softly.  
  
Harry nodded and wrapped his arms around Draco and held him close, intertwining their legs. "Yes I quite agree..." he whispered, stroking the blonde's hair softly.  
  
Draco shifted their positions and pulled Midnight onto his chest, kissing the top of his head. "When do you think I'll be able to graduate to Mage?" he asked, laying back and looking at the wall as he stroked Midnight's back gently.  
  
"I don't know...I guess when you master all of the material... I've never asked...I know for a War Mage we have to master every single thing that is set before us. It is very hard, and some never make it..." He said. "But what do you think your colors will be?"  
  
Draco sighed quietly and looked down at the boy in his arms. He felt nothing. No desire or hatred or love penetrated the numbness around his mind. He shifted slightly and stretched one of his legs out from the tangle of Harry's. "Green and silver in honor of my father," he replied. 'I should cry.... But I can't...' he thought, looking up at the ceiling.  
  
Harry nodded and lay quietly in Draco's arms. In truth he didn't know what to say, he didn't like Lucius Malfoy, far from it, but he did have strong feelings for his son, feelings that walked the razor edge of love. So he stayed quite and waited for Draco to do something, anything to show that he was going to let Harry into his world of pain.  
  
Slowly, Draco fell asleep, comforted by the warm body next to him. After fifteen minutes, he woke up, tears running down his cheeks. He took a shuddering breath and sobbed silently, the pain releasing itself slowly, reluctant to give up it's hold on his heart. He held Harry close, burying his face in the boy's hair as he cried.  
  
Harry kissed the blonde's shoulder softly and stroked his back. "Shh...I'm here for you..." he whispered, his heart breaking with each tear the boy cried.  
  
Draco allowed himself to cry, letting Harry into his heart. He was soothed by the boy's presence. As long as Harry was there, he wasn't alone. His tears slowly subsided after a while, and he pulled Harry up into a tender, soft kiss. Slowly, he made love to the boy, releasing all of his pain and hurt in the simple act of affection that meant so much and so little at the same time.  
  
Afterward, He laid next to Harry, listening to the boy sleep. He traced the lines of the Mage's face with his fingertips, memorizing their beautiful planes and angles. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep, memories of his father and of his hated mother running through his mind. He would get revenge on the man who had killed his father. He would see him lying dead, stripped of all his honor.  
  
Yay! Chapter 13! We tried really hard and made it extra long for everyone so I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and tell us what you think.   
  
This chapter didn't have any lemons in it, just really sweet limes. I got the idea of Draco and Tony from a reviewer and liked it so much that I used it. So thank you!  
  
I have a problem though. I have this strong like for Harry and Jade, I really like Jade, but this is a Harry and Draco story and their love is SO cute, so it's up to you, tell me who to keep Harry with...Draco or Jade...  
  
Forever Loyal,  
  
Kat == and Vogel 


	14. A War Mages Path chapter 14

Chapter 14   
  
Nightwish looked around Aqua's rooms as Draco and Basil talked quietly. He knew Midnight was some where near him, but he didn't know where. He jumped slightly when Draco touched his shoulder.  
  
Draco gently kissed Nightwish. "Thank you, Nightwish," he said, stroking the boy's cheek. "It's good to have been forewarned of this..." 'I love you, Tony,' he thought, a small smile curling his lips.  
  
"Forewarned of what?" Basil asked as he looked between the two.  
  
"Of this meeting and some information," Draco said, smiling at Basil. He pulled away from Tony, resuming his seat. "It's nothing to worry about, Basil. Have you seen the new Gryffindor Seeker? Couldn't see the broadside of a barn."  
  
"That Weasly brat can't do anything right..." Basil said with a laugh. "Hate to say it, but Potter was the best seeker this school has ever seen...to bad he's dead..."  
  
Draco looked hurt. "Why Basil... you always told me that I was the best seeker this school has ever seen.... I'm hurt..." he said, trying to tease the boy but finding it difficult to fall back into his normal routine. He was head of the Malfoy household now...  
  
"Ah, but you must remember, I started saying that when you started winning..."Basil said with a laughed as he took Draco's hand in his and kissed it softly. "Not to worry, everything will be fine..."  
  
Draco smiled at Basil and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I know... Everything always turns out sunshine and daisies in the end," he drawled, raising one perfect eyebrow. He gave Basil another smile and yawned, stretching. "I do believe that I'm going to fall asleep if Aqua doesn't get here soon..."  
  
Tony looked to the door when it opened and Aqua stepped in, slowly closing the door behind her. "Alright, Draco, you know what to expect. I want everyone to leave together, So hold hands or hold on to each others clothing..."  
  
Tony slipped his hand into Draco's and felt one of his sleeves be grabbed gently.  
  
Draco held onto his two companion's hands and smiled softly at them both. He felt a gentle jolt of electricity pass between Tony and himself. He stood, drawing them with him. When they stood, he nodded to Aqua. "I'll see you in a few days," he said, preparing himself to face his father's impostor.  
  
Aqua nodded and shared a significant look with Tony as she threw a ring of gold dust around them. "Malfoy Manor..." She said, watching as they disappeared. "Good luck..."  
  
Draco smiled warmly at the man who came to greet them. "Father," he said, releasing his companions and bowing. "I was worried about you when you didn't return my owls." He gave the man a brief hug, holding his forearms in a familiar gesture that he'd shared with his father for many years.  
  
Lucius smiled down at the boy gently. "I'm sorry, I have been busy with my new position. Please forgive me..." He looked behind his son and nodded. "Basil, I'm please to see you again..."  
  
Basil smiled and shook the blonde's hand. "I happy to see you in good health, Mr. Malfoy. Both of us were worried about you. What with things as uncertain as they are in these times..." he said, releasing the man's hand.  
  
Draco stepped away from his father slightly to focus the man's attention on the boy behind him. "Father, this is Justin, a close friend of mine from Hufflepuff. He agreed to come with us this weekend to meet you," he said, smiling.  
  
Lucius nodded and stepped forward, he watched the boy closely and took in every thing about him before smiling and taking his hand. "Ah, and a mage by any other color would still look as beautiful..." He said as he kissed the boys hand and smiled at him charmingly.  
  
Tony nodded and looked into the man's eyes. 'I know who you are...Peter Petigrew...You don't fool me...' Tony thought to himself as he smiled sweetly.  
  
"Father?" Draco asked, sounding and looking genuinely confused. He'd become a great actor dealing with the Gryffindors and his mother. Flawless. 'Tony, who is he?' Draco asked, still looking at his father's impersonator.  
  
Lucius turned slightly and smiled at his son. "I have know there are War Mages at Hogwarts for quite some time. Now tell me child. What is your name."  
  
Tony stood tall and pulled him hand from the impostors. "Nightwish..." He said, gracefully walking over to Draco as he'd seen Midnight do a hundred times. "War Mage Nightwish..."  
  
Draco looked at Nightwish and rose an eyebrow, slipping an arm around his waist. "We have much to discus, my love," he said, frowning slightly. "I had no idea you were a Mage."  
  
"My hair didn't give it away my love?" Nightwish asked as he rose an eyebrow and looked at Draco coolly.  
  
"No. Basil had lovely orange hair for nearly a week once. Learned the spell from his aunt," Draco replied.  
  
Basil laughed quietly. "The only thing is, it didn't work on any of the other hair on my body. It was quite funny to see me unclothed," he said, shaking his head. He looked around. "Mr. Malfoy, may was go inside? It looks like it might rain, and I don't want to ruin my new boots."  
  
Lucius chuckled and nodded. "Of course, War Mage Nightwish...after you..."  
  
Tony nodded and frowned when he couldn't read Peter's mind anymore. 'Draco, something's wrong...'  
  
'What could it be?' Draco thought, keeping his arm around Tony's waist as they headed across the great lawns to the front entrance. He pushed open the doors and allowed Basil in first, following the Slytherin with his arm securely around Tony's waist. He wasn't going to let go of the delicate Spirit Mage for the world unless he was killed or stunned.  
  
"Mister Malfoy, Why is it so dark? One would think a man such as you wouldn't continue the old wizarding ways..." Nightwish said smoothly as he suppressed all of his emotions to get the emotional range of a War Mage.  
  
"Ah you see my dear War Mage," He said as the lights flicked on and a swarm of figures in long black robes immediately cast stunning spells on the three boys. "The element of surprise is always the best one..."  
  
Draco groaned as he opened his eyes. "Father?" he asked, looking around the dark room. He guessed that he was in one of the old Manor's holding cells. "Father?"  
  
"My dear boy..." A squeaky and jittery voice replied. "You father is dead. Has been dead since before you left for school..." The voice came closer and checked the boy's bounds to make sure he wasn't moving from the slimy wall. "I have been in his place...I bet you're wondering why you are still alive..." he snickered. "We will kill you shortly, make no mistake, but we are waiting for the rest of the Mages to come looking for their precious Nightwish."  
  
Basil came around and looked to where Draco hung on the wall, arms chained high above his head. He looked to his other side and saw that Nightwish was hanging in a similar position as Draco and himself, he turned his attention back to what the mousy man was saying.  
  
"Odd, though. The papers said the only War Mage attending Hogwarts as a student was named Midnight, but you can never believe what the papers print I guess. The dark lord will be plenty pleased with me...plenty pleased indeed..." Peter chuckled whiningly and shuffled out of the dark room, the lightly a candle before he left to give the boy's a glimpse of what their last visions will be.  
  
Draco pulled on his bonds, furious. "Nightwish are you alright? Nightwish wake up!" Draco said, his chains rattling. The vision he'd had at the beginning of the year came back to him.  
  
Tony, lying in a cold stone room as a large serpent squeezed the life out of him.  
  
"Basil, see if you can nudge him. He has to wake up..." Draco said, looking up at his bonds. As a boy he'd played in these dungeons with Basil and some of his other Slytherin friends. He knew them like the back of his hand. He was somewhere in the middle of the maze of corridors and dead ends. "Please, Basil."  
  
"He can't reach him..." A cool voice said from Draco's side.  
  
When Basil looked over at the voice, he saw no one their.  
  
Tony moaned softly and blinked awake at the sound of the voice. "Shh..."  
  
"Midnight?" Draco asked softly as a hand slid up his arm to undo the chains holding him to the slimy wall.  
  
"Yes, shh, don't let them know I'm here...Nightwish, is anyone around?" Midnight asked softly. When Tony shook his head 'no', Midnight smiled and dropped his invisibility spell. "Are you alright?" He asked Draco as he undid the chains and helped him to the floor.  
  
Draco nodded. "Thank you," he said, rubbing his chaffed wrists and moving to remove Nightwish's bonds. "We need to get out of here as soon as Petigrew has been dealt with. I think this is where my vision of Nightwish dying by the large snake happened." He helped Tony to the ground, holding him gently before moving to release Basil.  
  
"You three are going back...I want you all to hold hands..." Midnight said as he pulled out a small cloth covered circle.  
  
Draco rose an eyebrow. "No," he said flatly, anger and hatred of the man who had killed his father boiling inside him. "You'll have to kill me to get me to leave."  
  
"Fine, Nightwish, Basil, if you please..." Midnight said as he unwrapped the cloth to reveal a gold gallon. "This is no place for a Spirit Mage..."  
  
Tony nodded and move over to Midnight's side. "My job his done here...I'll see you when you get back..." He said with a smile at the blonde.  
  
"Okay," Draco said, kissing Tony's cheek and moving to stand next to Midnight. "Be careful..."  
  
Tony smiled and looked into Draco's eyes. 'Trust him...he won't fail you...' with a smile he grabbed Basil's shirt and took the gallon from Midnight, disappearing instantly.  
  
Draco smiled slightly and looked to Midnight. "Well, I've always wanted to show you my home..." he said as he took the boy's hand.  
  
Midnight flashed him a soft smile before taking out a dagger from somewhere on his person and nodded to the blonde. "You open the door, I'll kill the guard..."  
  
Draco opened the door. "Hey, ugly!" he called, immediately calling the guard's attention to him. He retreated inside and stood in the light spilling from the hall. "That's right, I'm taking to you."  
  
"Draco," Midnight hissed. "You stupid trainer...haven't you heard on the element of surprise?"  
  
The guard tromped into the room and stood in the door way menacingly. "What?" He growled.  
  
Draco watched the guard's eyes open in shock as a dagger was pulled across his throat, slicing deep down to his vocal cords so not a sound was made. He moved out of the way of the falling body and looked to where Midnight was calmly cleaning off his blade. "I was thinking more of how we were going to drag him into the cell without all the blood going everywhere," he said, motioning to the rapidly spreading pool of liquid.  
  
Midnight shrugged. "I wasn't told to be discreet, I was told to kill the impostor." He smiled. "The trick is you cast an invisibility spell over the body...if you can't see it, it isn't there..." He said as he cast the spell and took Draco's hand. "Now, lead me out of here..."  
  
Draco started down the hall way, pulling on a torch in the wall to open one of the many secret passages to the upper levels. The stone stairs were dusty as they climbed in silence. Draco sorely missed the constant buzz of his roommate's thoughts in his mind as the silence pressed in upon him.  
  
"Where does this lead my love?" Midnight asked as he followed closely behind young trainee.  
  
"To the upper levels. Near the bedrooms in the East wing. My father's rooms are there. It's one of the most likely spots for Peter to be hiding," Draco replied quietly, leading Harry to a landing and down a long, small hallway.  
  
Midnight nodded and sighed when the silence settled upon them again. "I'm sorry, to send him away, but he is no use here. He will get the others and come back to you. I'm glad you have a mate that you love with all your heart, it helps the pain." He said softly as the neared the door.  
  
Draco turned in the narrow space and looked at Harry in the dim light. "I do love Nightwish, but not as much as I love you," he said, leaning towards the boy to kiss him gently. "Midnight... I love you... as much as it's possible for one person to love another without loosing their mind, and I think I might have lost mine a little. I'm just worried about him. About all of us." He kept his voice low, knowing the walls were thin and that there must be guards all over the place.  
  
"No need to be worried. I'm the best..." Midnight whispered as he kissed Draco again. "I love you...remember that, I love you..." He looked up into the blonde's ice blue eyes.  
  
Draco kissed him again softly and nodded. "Let's go..." he whispered, continuing down the hall in silence. He opened one portion of the wall after listening carefully to make sure no one was there. He moved aside for Midnight, knowing the Mage was trained to kill and that he wasn't.  
  
Midnight quickly slipped out of the space, and across the hall. After a moment he motioned for Draco to join him.  
  
Draco silently closed the secret passageway then hurried across the hall to join Midnight. He motioned towards a hallway. "This way," he mouthed, slipping along the wall.  
  
Midnight nodded and silently followed the blonde, listening to the sounds around them for on coming guards. "Wait..." He whispered softly, pausing at a small brown door that was so plain you could pass it by with out a second thought. "What is this room?"  
  
"This is one of my father's concubine's rooms. Mother made the poor boy leave after only one day. Said my father was getting too attached," Draco whispered, stopping and looking back at the boy. He waited for Midnight's signal, wondering if he wanted to enter the boy's room or not.  
  
Midnight blinked and moved closer to the room listening closely. He could hear the rustling of someone moving back and fourth as if worried or scared of what was to happen to them. Midnight looked at Draco and nodded as he slowly stood and readied as dagger in preparation of an attack.  
  
Draco slowly opened the door, moving out of the way for Harry.  
  
Midnight swiftly moved in and caught the passing figure by the throat, slamming it against the wall he smiled cruelly. "Why hello Peter...imagine finding you in a room like this..."  
  
Peter squeaked with fear. "Who.... Who are you?" he choked out, beady eyes darting around the room for an escape route.  
  
Draco moved into the room quietly and shut the door, sealing the exit.  
  
"An old friend's son, long since dead..." Midnight replied lifting the terrified man off the ground. "Tell me, why was Lucius killed..."  
  
"Wh-why Harry... it's so good to see you again... How have you been?" he dodged, trying to avoid the question until his master came to see him.  
  
"Happily thought of as dead until now," He replied. "Now answer my question before I cut off another one of your fingers from the only hand you have left..."  
  
"Please don't kill me.... I didn't do it! I swear I didn't!" he whimpered, his beady eyes darting around the room. "Draco, please help me! I wouldn't harm you!"  
  
Draco looked coldly at the man. "I say take his testicles. He's not a man anymore," he suggested quietly to Midnight.  
  
"You see Peter, no one will help you. And in all reality, I don't care if you were the one that murdered Lucius or not, I'm still going to kill you for what you did to my parents. Like I should've done in third year but was to bent up on the idea that I was going to be just like my father and do the nice thing. But now I really don't care what anyone thinks of me..." He chuckled and slammed the scared man against the wall again. "Now tell me who killed Lucius Malfoy and why, I'm not known for my patience!"  
  
"Nott! It was Nott! He was jealous of the Dark Lord's favorite! He was mad at Lucius!" Peter squeaked, sounding like the Animagi that he was.  
  
"Voldermort wouldn't allow that, he liked Lucius to much, who authorized it...why didn't Voldermort stop it?" Midnight asked with a raise of his eyebrow.  
  
"Nott... Nott didn't care... he envied Lucius's power and wealth too much..." Peter stalled, praying for his master to return.  
  
"I didn't ask that now did I?" Midnight asked slowly, giving Peter another shake. "Draco, get my cigar cutter from the pocket touching my lower back..." He asked as he put his dagger away.  
  
Draco moved forward and reached into the pocket. He took out the shining metal object and rose an eyebrow at the man.  
  
Peter whimpered again and squirmed. "Please don't kill me!" he sobbed, tears mingling with the sweat running down his face. "Voldermort's dead!"  
  
Midnight paused and rose an eyebrow, "Explain..."  
  
Peter looked to the doorway for any signs of his master's return. When none came, and he felt the cigar cutter move around his middle finger, he squealed. "He's dead! We left him alone for one night and all we found of him was a single emerald! He's gone! Only his snake was there," he squeaked, feeling the blades lower around his skin.  
  
"What happened to the emerald?" Midnight asked as he watched the man's eyes shift to the door once more. "Peter...are we expecting company?" He asked with a sickly sweet smile. "For your sake I hope not, because the second that door opens and it's not me or Draco walking though it, I'll kill you..."  
  
"Nott... it's Nott... he's on his way here with orders..." he lied, trying to move his finger out of the cigar cutter.  
  
"Draco, I don't believe him..." Midnight said as he looked at Peter coolly, "You'd better tell me the truth..."  
  
"It's Lastrong! He's in charge now! Please don't kill me! Please!" Peter said, squirming against the wall.  
  
"Now we're getting somewhere...What was done with the emerald?" He asked again.  
  
"I don't know! Please, Lastrong took it! I swear I don't know!" he said, tears streaming down his cheeks. He felt the cigar cutter close around his finger and whimpered as he wet himself from fear.  
  
Harry made a face and stepped away from the puddle on the floor. "Alright, you don't know..." He looked deep into his eyes. "But you did give my parents over to Voldermort...as well as Draco's father, I can't let you live." He said, pulling Peter away from the wall and setting him on his feet. His gleaming silver eyes glowed, as the carpet seemed to turn to liquid and swallow the rat's feet. "Draco, would you like to say anything to him...do anything that won't kill him?" he asked as his eyes stopped glowing and the floor solidified around the pudgy man's ankles.  
  
"No," Draco said simply, not wishing to get near the pudgy man who now smelt of urine and human feces. "You have the bigger grievance with him." He looked to the whimpering man. "Let's just hope the house elves can clean it up... I do plan to live here one day."  
  
Peter clung to Midnight's arm. "Harry please! Your father would have spared me!" he cried, hoping to call on the boy's mercy.  
  
Harry nodded. "You're right Peter, my father would have spared you." He stepped away and moved over to Draco's side. Harry wrapped his are around Draco's waist and threw a knife into the man's throat. "But I'm not my father..."  
  
Peter's face changed to one of shock as he was pinned to the wall. A small trickle of blood seeped out of his mouth as his head lolled forward and he died.  
  
Draco leaned over and kissed Harry softly, sighing against his lips. "What do you want to do now?" he asked, pulling his lips away.  
  
"Summon the Ministry to identify him as Peter Petigrew and clear my god father's name without being known. But that won't happen so I'll kiss you again and then prepare for the world to know me once more...whether they think I'm alive or not..." Midnight said softly as he leaned up and kissed the blonde boy again.  
  
Draco pulled the boy into his arms, kissing him gently, then more fiercely. "I love you, Harry Potter, War Mage Midnight, boy-who-lived... no matter what you're called, I will always love you and be there for you..." Draco whispered, smiling softly and ignoring the body of Peter Petigrew that was still hanging on the wall.  
  
"And I love you...Draco Malfoy. I always will... no matter what happens in the future..." He whispered back. "Let's go, I want to get a shower..." He said as he moved over to Peter's body and pulled out the knife holding the body to the wall. He sprinkled a circle of golden dust around it and said. "Ministry of Magic." The Body disappeared.  
  
Midnight took Draco's hand and pulled out another gallon. It instantly transported the into his room and Harry sighed as he collapsed onto the bed behind him.  
  
Draco leaned down and kissed the Mage softly. "Shower and rest... I'll be back in about an hour..." he said, stroking Harry's cheek. He needed to deal with all of the arrangements for his father's funeral and talk to the Aurors about setting a guard up at his house now that he wasn't able to be in it. He sighed softly and pulled away. "Hopefully, I see you before midnight... "he said, kissing the boy again and straightening up. He moved towards the door, knowing that Harry would be safe in his room because of all of the wards that still surrounded it. 'Tony?' he thought softly, searching for the boy's presence in his mind.  
  
'Is everything alright?' Tony replied softly.  
  
'Everything's fine. Midnight and I are back... I just wanted to make sure that you were okay...' he replied, turning at the door and smiling at the Mage who was sitting up on the bed. "See you tonight at dinner?" he asked, opening the door.  
  
"Of course," Harry said with a smile as he looked over and waved to Draco. "Oh...I feel like I'm a trainee again...I'm so tired..."  
  
Draco chuckled and shook his head. "I'll give you a nice long back-rub tonight. I promise," he said, slipping out the door and closing it softly.  
  
Draco sighed and pushed open the door hours later. He'd missed dinner while talking to the Ministry of Magic. He'd consulted his father's lawyers and found out that his mother had been left with nothing. The only stipulation of his father's will had been that Draco find homes for most of his concubines and consorts. After that, he'd had to make arrangements for his father's funeral the first Sunday of the upcoming month and have his body transported to the family crypt.  
  
He opened Harry's door, giving Cindy a wan smile and he flopped down on the bed, hearing the shower still running. 'Midnight must still be in there,' he thought, closing his eyes.  
  
"Quicksilver...my love...could you get me a towel and the potion in my upper right hand drawer?" Harry called softly.  
  
Draco grabbed a towel off of the shelf and a small blue bottle of a viscous material. "Harry?" he asked, cracking the door. "Here you are..."  
  
"Huh?" Harry blinked and shut off the water. "Oh, thank you Draco..." He smiled and to the potion, downing it quickly.  
  
Draco smiled and sat down on the toilet. "How was dinner?" he asked, his hands hanging in-between his legs.  
  
"Didn't go, But I can take a wild guess. Quicksilver talked to her carrots, while Bloodlust sat a seat away from her and threw mushrooms at the Hufflepuffs and Aqua looked at them both with a look of amusement as the Hufflepuffs glared at the Slytherin, thinking it was them all along." He summarized with a laugh, stepping out of the shower and taking the towel.  
  
"I think you're right..." he said, smiling. He leaned back and stretched. "How was your night, my dear. Aside from the killing and all the rest of that fun...."  
  
"I'm tired and I can feel a whopper of a vision coming on..." He said with a sigh, "But, I be fine if you hold me all night..."  
  
Draco stood and gathered the Mage into his arms. "I would like to do nothing more than to have you in my arms," he said, kissing the top of Harry's head. "Come on, we both need some sleep..."  
  
"I agree..." Midnight said as he yawned and nuzzled Draco's shoulder. "To bed with us...tomorrow is fast approaching."  
  
Draco led the boy to the bed and unwrapped the towel from around the Mage's waist. He stripped off his clothes as Harry got under the covers. Crawling under the soft cotton, he gathered Harry into his arms and kissed him gently. "Thank you for being there today..." he said softly. "And thank you for being there for me when I found out about my father's death... It meant a lot to me..."  
  
"I was happy to do it...I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, but I needed to know for sure..." Midnight replied.  
  
Draco nodded. "I understand..." he whispered, looking down at the boy on his chest. He missed his father terribly, and still felt like he was trying to swim through quicksand. 'Good night, Tony. I love you,' he thought. "It was necessary..."  
  
Midnight nodded, mostly asleep and already getting the first trickling of a vision.  
  
"Tell me...did he ever hold you close and call your name..."  
  
When Draco was sure that Harry was asleep, he kissed the top of the boy's head and sighed softly. "I love you, Harry, but I don't know if I can trust you yet..." he whispered, biting his lower lip and closing his eyes.  
  
"Harry Potter...the golden boy...to perfect for anything to touch him...rules or anything else..."  
  
A dark room that smelt of mold and violent sex...a feeling, a sound, an object...  
  
A deep snake hiss and a sharp pain.  
  
"Take him with others around, make sure they know who he is before they die..."  
  
Harry gasped and sat up quickly. He was sweating and shaking as he pressed his hand to the side of his temple.  
  
Draco sat up and looked at Harry. "What's wrong? What did your vision tell you?" he asked, stroking Harry's back in soothing circles.  
  
Midnight gave a short laugh. "The usual, Pain, Death, Snakes, and Voldermort..."  
  
Draco's brows drew together in concern. "Are you going to be alright?" he asked, stroking Harry's damp skin gently. "Would you like to go tell Aqua what you've seen?"  
  
"No, she knows to be prepared. Why do you think I'm not aloud to classes unless I'm seem by a mage?" He smiled and hissed softly as his scar flared for a moment then all pain died away. "Oh...hey that's better...it's not a good sign, but it's better..."  
  
Draco kissed Harry's forehead gently and got up. He got a warm, wet towel from the bathroom and walked back to the bed. "Here, lay down," he said, running the towel over the Mage's limbs and torso. "Flip, please."  
  
Midnight smiled and turned over onto his stomach. "Mmm, thank you...I'm sorry I woke you..."  
  
"It's okay, I wasn't asleep anyways," Draco replied, tossing the towel aside and kneeling over the Mage. He carefully sat down on the boy's hips and began to slowly knead the muscles of his back to relieve their tenseness.  
  
"Was I asleep for that short of time?" he asked softly as he closed his eyes again.  
  
"About an hour and a half," Draco replied, rubbing his thumbs over a stiff muscle in Harry's lower back near the spine. 'Relax...' he thought, making his motions soothing as he worked the kink out of the muscle.  
  
"Want to tell me about it?" Harry mumbled sleepily.  
  
Draco shrugged. "There's nothing to tell. Just sad," he said, rubbing up Harry's back to his neck and shoulders. He heard a slight pop, and pressed down on the boy's spine gently to crack his back and re-align it.  
  
"You know...if Nightwish weren't messing with my emotions right now, that would've hurt..." He said with a slight smile.  
  
'Tony, how was your night?' he asked his roommate, gently working on the Mage's neck. "Sorry... it'll feel good in the morning, trust me. I learned most of this from my father's concubines," he said to Harry.  
  
"To much information..." Midnight mumbled in a sing-song fashion.  
  
'It was good, Quicksilver and I are playing cards...you know...you can ask him anything and he'll most likely tell you right now...best time...won't get another chance like this my love...' Tony giggled and went quite again.  
  
Draco smirked and rose an eyebrow. "Do you really think I'm better than Jade in bed?" he asked, holding back his laughter and working on the boy's shoulders.  
  
Midnight nodded without thinking. "Yes, you're at least a good two inches bigger than him and touch me with much more emotion than he did..."  
  
Draco blinked. 'Well... that's good to know...' he thought, trying not to laugh. He thought of his vision again and rose a perfect platinum blonde eyebrow. "Were you intimate with Jade while you were gone? Did you..." he trailed off. He stopped. "Never mind. I don't need to know that. I trust that you wouldn't do that to me, Harry."  
  
He sighed and continued to relax the boy's muscles. Draco leaned down and kissed the boy's neck softly before rubbing the muscles of Harry's lower back.  
  
"Mmm, no you don't or you wouldn't've asked me..." Harry said with a small yawn. "But if you must know, no...I didn't...I would never cheat on you...I love you to much." He chuckled. "There is a hair fine line between true love and pure hate...I don't know when it happened, but I believe I fell in love with you before the end of fourth year..."  
  
Harry calmly trailed off and fell into a dreamless sleep from the workings of Draco's strong hands.  
  
Draco smiled softly and eased himself off of Harry's body. 'Nightwish, I love you...' he thought, shaking his head and laying next to Harry. 'Have fun.'  
  
'I will...' Tony chirped happily, releasing his hold on Midnight's emotions.  
  
Ok, another chapter done! Wow...these seem to be popping out like rabbits...  
  
watches a fluffy white bunny hop by   
  
Well anyways. Thank you for all of your votes and they really strengthened my visions for future chapters   
  
Just a side note, I know how to spell Basil's name, I just like it the way I spell it.  
  
Review and tell me what you think,  
  
Forever Loyal,  
Kat == and Vogel 


	15. A War Mages Path chapter 15

Chapter 15

"What do you mean, 'We're leaving'? "Midnight asked his trainer as he followed the passing woman with his eyes.

"I mean, my darling, We're leaving, we have another mission and we are needed." She replied, coolly, looking at the young War Mage and giving him a soft smile. "And before you ask child, the elders insist. We are the best and you know it..."

Midnight wanted to argue with her, he wanted to tell her he was staying and throw a fit until he got his way, but he knew he wouldn't.

"Do we leave tomorrow?" he asked hopefully.

"No," She answered. "We leave as soon as you are packed. No one will know we've gone..."

"No one?" Harry repeated, looking at his trainer with wide eyes.

"No, no one. Were we are going, is classified to War Mages and us only, by order of the council. Now go pack child..."

Midnight nodded and turned, joining Jade at the door and being escorted back to his rooms where he found Quicksilver sitting on her bed with a copy of 'Witch Weekly'.

"Laine...come on, we need to pack."

Hellaine nodded and set the magazine down, yawning softly. "It's to bad...I liked it here..."

"Yeah," Midnight said, sighing softly and pulling his silver hair back into a ponytail. "But it was an assignment and our orders bid us leave..."

"You're going to miss him aren't you?" She asked, looking over at her roommate and taking in his hidden sadness.

"Yes." He said simply. "Yes, I am going to miss him, but he has Nightwish, and he loves him, he will get over me, and someday my heart will heal from his loss..."

They didn't say anything more on the subject as they packed. Quicksilver moved around the room collecting all of her stuffed animals and romance books while Midnight moved around gathering his weapons, photo album, and his own set of romance books.

After that they set about changing. Over the months they'd been at the school their dressing habits had gotten more and more lax as well as less impressive.

So Quicksilver changed from her loose white shirt and gray cotton pajama pants to a formfitting white tank top with a gray off the shoulder over shirt that showed off her bronze shoulders and a short pleated pale gray skirt. On her feet she wore white floppy leg warmer socks with a gray stripe around the top and gray tennis shoes with white laces.

Midnight sorted through his cloths as he tossed them into his bags and dressed in a pair of black pants and a black poets shirt with a wide black ruffle around the collar that showed a nice expanse of his chest and cuffs that covered down to his finger tips.

He wore black knee high boots with silver hooks that laced up with black laces, black half gloves and a silver belt that was really a long scarf that he'd tied to one of his belt loops. After putting on Jade's necklace and tucking it into his shirt, Midnight was ready to go.

"Alright Lotus," He hissed softly. "Lets go..."

Lotus obeyed her master and slithered up his leg to wrap around his waist securely.

Midnight stroked her gently and smiled over at Quicksilver. "Hell, I think this was one of your best pranks ever..."

"Oh that?" Hellaine asked, raising an eyebrow and laughing. "That's nothing compared to the time I woke you up with lime green Jell-O smeared all over your body..."

Midnight laughed and nodded. "Yes, but you forget that you'd stripped me down and I was in Siberia..."

"True...true...I loved that mission..." She said, hefting her bags onto her back and flashed him a smile.

"Yeah yeah..." Midnight said, picking up his bags, all five of them, and walked out of his rooms. "Come along Silver...we gotta move..."

Jade slipped an arm around Midnight's waist, leaning his body close to the boy's. "Are you ready?" He asked, resting his head on Midnight's soft silver hair.

Midnight nodded and smiled softly. "Yeah, are you?" he asked, glancing back at the black eyed man.

Jade nodded, leaning forward and kissing Midnight softly. "I still love you, Harry..." he whispered softly, wrapping his arms around the boy's shoulders. "And I'm always here for you...."

"I know, Teddy, I know...I love you to..." He said softly, squeezing Jade's hand and sighing. "Come on...lets go while class is still in session..."

Jade nodded, giving Quicksilver a smile.

Quicksilver scowled and glared at him. "I hope you know.... If you end up in his bed, I'm going to chop it off...." She threatened, brushing past the man and walking ahead, muttering about her green dragon.

Midnight sighed and moved away from Jade. "She's serious..." He said, taking a few steps and then looking back at the older man. "We'll work this out later..."

Jade nodded. 'Too bad, Draco....' He thought, shaking his head and following the man.

Draco slumped into a chair in his room. He didn't want to deal with anymore lawyers or people asking him for money. He just wanted to be with Harry for the whole night.

'Tony....' Draco asked through their mental link. 'Do you know where Midnight is?'

'With me...' Tony said as he put his last stuffed animal around the his bags with the others. He was leaving with the others for head quarters.

'Will you tell him to meet me in the Slytherin Common? I feel like flying tonight....' He thought with a small smile.

'I can't, we won't be here...' he responded absently, stroking Hoppums and adjusting his purple bow.

'Huh?' Draco asked, tilting his head. 'Where are you going?'

'Back h- oh, I can't tell...' He said, going silent and blushing slightly.

'Were you going to tell me good bye?' He asked softly, looking out the window.

'...I...We aren't aloud, No one is supposed to know...but...if you just happened to get to the Quidditich in the next five minuets you can see Midnight leave...' Tony said softly.

Draco stood, getting up and moving quickly to the door. He ran towards the Quidditch Pitch. He got there just in time to see Harry disappear. "Midnight!!" he yelled, seeing the man begin to disappear. When the boy was gone, he sank to his knees and looked down. "Harry..." he whispered softly.

Draco... Came Harry soft voice. Don't worry...I love you...

Draco shook his head. "How could you just leave me when I need you the most?" he asked quietly, shaking his head.

I love you....I love you...

Midnight felt a tear roll down his cheek and he drew in a shuddering breath as his voice now longer reached Draco. "I love you..." He said again, sniffing again.

Quicksilver blinked at her partner. "Midnight?" she asked, shoving Jade off the platform and into the large crowd of Mages.

Midnight quickly drew in another breath and cleared his throat. "I'm ok...I swear it..." He said, his voice shaking but becoming more sturdy.

Quicksilver nodded. "Aqua's waiting," she said, bouncing off and humming a merry tune.

Midnight smiled to the Mages he knew and like, kissed one of his lovers and nodded to the elders as he followed Quicksilver and Bloodlust, Jade behind him.

Aqua nodded to the five who entered the room, indicating the chairs in front of her desk.

"Please, sit. I have a new mission for Midnight, Bloodlust, and Jade. Nightwish, you're going to go back to the school to finish the majority of your training. I want you to watch Brushfire," she said, nodding to the small Mage.

Tony nodded and sat silently. Midnight felt a slight tickle of envy and sighed inwardly. He watched the boy leave and then looked back to his old trainer.

"What are we doing Marine?" He asked as shifted in the chair and pushed his hair behind his ears.

"There's been reports of a high number of Death Eaters in the northern Ireland area. I want the three of you to go and investigate McGregor Castle, also known as Kremoth," she said, showing them a photo of the massive structure.

Midnight nodded and looked over at the other two before back at the large picture that was slowly turning. "What are we to do if and when we discover what's going on?"

"Report back to me immediately. Don't try anything rash, Midnight," she said, giving him a stern look that made her elegant features even more leonistic.

"Me..." He asked, trying to look innocent. "When have I ever done anything rash?"

She rose a single eyebrow at him, not even dignifying that with a response. "This mission may lead to finding Lucius Malfoy's killers and the one that Peter Petegrew referred to in his interview with you, Midnight," she said, holding up another picture of the inside of the castle.

Midnight nodded, he would find Lestronge, and when he did...he'd make him suffer for what he'd done.

"Interview..." He heard Bob snort softly as Jade and Quicksilver chuckled quietly, or...at least tried to.

"Oh Shut up..." Midnight said with a pout.

Aqua cleared her throat, hiding a small smile of her own. "You're to leave tomorrow morning," she said, nodding in dismissal. "Midnight... will you stay for a few minutes to discuss something else with me?"

"Of course..." He said, sitting back down in the chair and waving to his friends. "I'll see ya'll later..."

When the door closed he looked back at the regal woman in front of him. He noted that her eyes were a shade darker than they normally were and thought that they were oddly pretty.

"Midnight..." she began, folding her hands on the desk. "I understand that you've taken Draco as a lover. I think it might be in his best interest if the two of you never saw each other again...." She stared into his eyes, not wanting to see the hurt that she saw in the depths of silver.

Midnight blinked and sat up alittle straighter. "What do you mean?"

"I don't think that it would be wise for the two of you to continue your relationship at the moment.... Especially with his training put on hold..." she said.

"With everything that has happened...I doubt he'll continue...his memory will be cleared and he'll never know of our relationship...our love..." Harry said, looking down at his hands, tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. "I love him Aqua...what am I to do?"

"Midnight.... I know that you do. But it's just not meant to be right now. If he continues with his training, he'll be allowed to continue seeing you. If he doesn't then we'll have to place him in a little room for the rest of his life. He knows too much and the entire school would have to have their memories wiped. They've seen the two of you together for some time, Midnight," she said, shaking her head.

"Are you going to tell Nightwish not to be with him?" He asked, meeting her blue eyes with his piercing silver ones.

"Draco is Nightwish's mate. There's nothing we can do about that. He'll be with him one way or the other. To take away a Spirit Mage's source of power is a cruel and unjust thing to do. That's why I sent him back to Hogwarts," she said, sitting slightly straighter.

"And you think letting him see and touch and talk and hear Draco all the time while I am away from him and not aloud to see him is fair?" He asked, standing in anger. "Most Spirit Mages don't have mates, and those that do rarely see them, I think it's cruel of you to let me know that your giving him something that you refuse to let me have, when it's mine!"

Aqua sat calmly through his tirade, wishing she could tell him the truth about Draco. "Sit down, please, Midnight...." She said, indicating the chair. "This next mission will be your last before you receive your first years leave."

"Years leave?" Midnight, asked, sitting again, his energy seeming to disappear. "But Aqua, Mages don't get leave...we always work...especially War Mages..."

"You're receiving a full month's leave after this mission, Midnight," she said, looking down at the papers in front of her. "You're dismissed."

"Why?" He asked, knowing something was amiss. "Why am I being given leave? Will the others get it to?"

"No, just you. Now I have a lot of things to do. I would appreciate it if you would go and make sure that Quicksilver doesn't emasculate Jade," the woman responded, beginning to scratch out a few notes on a pink piece of parchment intended for the accounting department.

Midnight left without another word. He wondered the hallways and smiled at a few mist trainees he passed on their way to their next lesson.

Draco stared into the fire, not noticing anything around him except for the dancing green flames. He flicked his wand, turning them a vivid red, then orange, then pink, and back to green again. He sighed softly, not wanting to go to his room, but being really tired anyways. He slumped slightly lower into his chair, feeling his eyes droop close. He was so tired, and the chair was rather comfortable.

Tony snuck up and gently wrapped his arms around the tired boy. "Draco, it's time for bed..."

"Tony?" Draco asked, turning and looking at the boy. "I thought you left with the others..."

"I did," He said with a soft smile full of love. "But I came back to you, they sent me back to you..."

"Why? Not that I'm not happy to see you...." He said, standing and slipping an arm around the boy's waist. "Did they want you to make sure I didn't throw Brushfire out of the tower window?"

"That, and I'm here to watch her. Your training has been...put off for the moment, so that you can deal with everything that has been thrown at you..." Tony said with a smile. "I don't know why I'm here, I just know I am...so I figure that's good enough for me..."

Draco gave the boy a weak smile and led him out of the Common Room, wanting nothing more than to lay in his bed and cry himself to sleep, but knowing that his Malfoy pride wouldn't let him. Malfoy's didn't cry. Ever. They held their heads up high and handled all problems with taste and poise. "Thank you, Nightwish...." He said, opening the door to their room. "For coming back..."

"Midnight would've come back if he could, but he is being sent somewhere else..." Tony said, his short blue hair bouncing with him as he moved beside Draco.

Draco nodded. "I understand. He's a War Mage. What could a trainee Seer Mage have to say to him anyways?" he said softly, his voice slightly mechanical. He sat down on the edge of his bed and looked at the white clothes that he was wearing. Suddenly, he was very tired of everything to do with the Mages. He stood, stripping off his clothing and throwing it into the bathroom, not caring where it landed. He pulled out a pair of black silk boxers with shadows of snakes on them and slipped into them, sighing softly when he was done and looking up at Tony. "Sorry..." he said quietly.

Tony shrugged. "It's alright, as I said, right now, you are no longer a trainee...you can wear anything you like..." He chuckled.

With a small smile, Draco climbed into bed and pulled out a stuffed turtle. "Mr. Turtle was left here," he said, slipping under the covers and holding them up, waiting for Tony's normal attack.

"I know," Tony said, "I left him for you, I didn't know I'd come back so soon..." He went over and took it from Draco, pausing, and then hitting him with the plushie once before going over to his bed.

Draco smiled and held up the covers. "Will you sleep with me tonight?" he asked quietly. "I don't want to be alone..." He didn't want anything more from Tony than just a warm, familiar presence in his bed and mind. He didn't want sex, or any thing remotely close to that. He just wanted to feel needed by someone that wasn't after his money or his talents.

'Midnight needs you...' Tony said softly, moving over to the bed and laying down after changing into his pajamas. 'He needs you more than you think he does...'

Draco wrapped his arms around the boy, holding his roommate close to his chest. 'Sometimes I wonder....' He said, sighing into Tony's blue hair. 'I'm just so _tired_ Tony... So very tired...'

'I know, and I know you wish I where Midnight, but he's not here...I am...' he responded, yawning and falling asleep quickly.

Draco shook his head, kissing the top of his roommate's silky hair. 'No, Tony... I'm happy that it's you here... With Midnight... I'm confused. With you, I know that you don't want anything from me,' he said, closing his eyes and relaxing slightly.

Jade kissed Harry very gently to wake him. "Harry..." he whispered, stroking the boy's cheek. "Harry, wake up, luv...." He said, kissing him again.

Lotus uncurled herself from the foot of the bed and hissed dangerously at the intruding man, he was waking her up and had stuffed her in a closet, she was not a happy snake.

"Shhh...Lotus...I'm sleeping, I have twelve mineuts till dawn yet..." Midnight yawned.

Jade ignored the serpent and nibbled on Harry's ear. "Harry.... Wake up Harry..." he whispered into the boy's soft-shell. "I have a surprise for you...."

Harry unhappily fwapped at his molester. "I don't want to wake up..."

When Jade continued to tease and mess with Midnight, the boy finally rolled over and glared at him.

"Alright, I'm up...you ....over bearing Magenta haired...mage." He said, getting out of bed with a suffering sigh and moving to get dressed.

Jade smiled and ran his hand down Midnight's back. "Only because I love you...." He said, wrapping his arms around Harry and kissing his neck softly.

Midnight snorted softly and continued to look through his cloths. He settled on a pair of black pants with silver fire around the bottom and a black velvet shirt. He pulled on a pair of boots and tied his hair back before looking back up at Jade.

"Alright, lets go you sleep Nazi"

Jade chuckled and led the way to the door, holding it open for Harry. "After you, beautiful," he said. He was trying hard to make it up to Harry. He wanted the boy back, and with Draco gone, he'd have that chance.

Harry nodded and walked passed him into the long and still vaguely dark hallway. He gave a smile to the Mage he still had feelings for.

Jade's smile was radiant as he walked into the briefing room. It stayed radiant up until the point that a large bucket of semi-solid orange Jell-O was poured over his head by Quicksilver.

The pale gray Mage giggled and ran, throwing the bucket and hitting Jade in the chest. "Ha ha!" she called, hiding behind Bloodlust.

Harry coughed and hid his rapidly blooming smile behind his hand. "Well...um...yes..." He cleared his throat again and moved over to Bloodlust himself, trying to control his laughter.

Jade scowled darkly at Quicksilver. "I'll be right back.... I've got to go and take another shower...." He grumbled, starting out the door and slipping in the large puddle of the liquid. "Ow...."

Midnight wanted to go over and help him, but he felt as if it were his own fault for making him and his roommate angry was not a good thing.

"Are you alright Jade?"

Jade gave the boy a smile. "Yeah... Just... sticky..." he said, thinking of the ways he could repay Quicksilver for her.... Present.

"Come with me? I've still got that surprise for you...."

"Um...I'd best not, you go shower then come back, we're leaving today...remember?" Midnight said, wrapping a stray piece of silver hair around his finger.

Jade stood, brushing the Jell-O off and nodding. He kissed Harry's cheek softly. "Alright, luv. I'll see you in a little bit..." he said, turning and going to shower.

"bye-bye Jadie-kinns!!" Quicksilver yelled after him, giggling and dancing around.

Bloodlust simply waved a hand and cleaned the mess up.

Midnight laughed and hugged the frightening man. "Good morning Bob...how are you doing today?"

"Acceptable," Bob said, peeling Quicksilver off of his back and setting her aside. "Yourself?"

"Nothing to complain about yet..." Midnight said as he smiled at his roommate and stretched out his back. "But I have a feeling its going to get messy..."

YAY! After so long I have another chapter out! It's short, but that's what happens when you're rushed. Review please, tell me if you liked it...tell me if you didn't...tell me if you just really were hoping for a cookie if you got this far...

I love to hear your thoughts, thanks to all that have stayed with me this long, I know I update slowly, but I have started on the next chapter, so expect that really soon.

Yours forever,

Kat and Vogel

P.s. If you can guess who the bad guy is you'll get special mentions...


	16. A War Mages Path Chapter 16

Chapter 16

o.o.o.o.o.o

Midnight looked around at the old dilapidated house they appeared to the side of and immediately, his sharp piercing silver eyes took in every window and door he could see.

"It seems clear," He said, looking to Quicksilver and Jade who were glaring at one another. "Jade, I want you to go with Bloodlust, give me a complete perimeter sweep, Quicksilver, you're with me, we're going inside…"

Hellene nodded and moved to Midnight's side, tightening her white fingerless gloves and checked her dove grey combat boots that were laced with white laces that held the bottom of her light grey, dark grey and white camouflage pants very well.

Tugging down her white halter top so that it covered her belly button, she nodded to Midnight once more.

"Let's go boss…"

Midnight chuckled softly, a sound that would've scared most people if they'd have heard it, and turned to the house, lifting one of the windows that looked ready to turn to dust in his hands.

"Ok Quicksilver, you first…" He said, stepping back and gesturing for her to precede him.

She said nothing, but put her foot firmly against the side of the house and hoisted herself up and in, paint and quite a bit of wood falling of the house in her wake.

"Oof, oh god, other than quite a lot of dust and the occasional mouse or two, I think we could make it work, what do you say Midnight?" Quicksilver's voice floated though the open window to the boy below, who just looked up at the window and shook his head before placing both of his hands on the sill and raising himself up using only his upper body strength before flipping his body over and entering though the window feet first.

"I don't know how you do it…" Quicksilver said, with a shake of her head. "But you always manage to look a lot cooler than me no matter what you do…why is this?"

"It's called talent," He said as he moved though the house quietly, his boot not making a sound compared to Hellene's heavy tromping. "I have it…" he turned to her with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "You don't…"

Hellene rolled her eyes and lifted up a large tapestry to check for any hidden doors. "You might have talent or skill or whatever else you call it, but there is one thing you will never have that I will…"

Midnight rose one of his black eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest. "And what, my dear Quicksilver, would that be?"

Hellene glance over her shoulder and laughed. "The ability to be completely random and dimwitted, no matter how serious or life threatening the situation…" She said offhandedly, turning to her friend and smiling.

Midnight blinked and chuckled, nodding at the honesty in the statement. "Point well taken my darling Quicksilver, now let's secure the house…"

o.o.o.o.o.o

With that, the two split up, Midnight going down into the basement, and Quicksilver going to check out the attic, both flickering spells in between their fingers in anticipation of whatever they might find.

Midnight slowly descended the old wooden stairs, coming to stand in a long very dark corridor, The light spell Midnight toyed with in his hand only lighting a foot in front of him and a foot on either side, of which after six inches, the light angled up the walls.

The whole place was giving Harry the creeps, but her didn't listen to the nagging voice in the back of his head that told him he wasn't safe and he began to walk down the hallway.

"_Harry…..my pretty play with me…._"

Harry spun around to face behind him, nothing, he quickly spun again, but still, there was no one around him, still the same stone walls.

When a cold wind crawled up his back and white light flickered at the corners of his vision Midnight kept going, hoping that if he ignored it, that the vision wouldn't come.

"_Come to me…young Harry…. Come to me…._"

The white light pulsed for a second before it exploded and enveloped Midnight's slender body completely, Harry's scream dieing in his throat.

_**Midnight found himself in a large room with tall raging fires and crumbling wooden structure beams. His eyes took all around him; Quicksilver was screaming and lunging for Jade, knocking him out of the way of a burning beam. **_

_**Jade, having been pushed out of the way, looked to Quicksilver and moved to pull her from the debris when he was captured by a grappling spell and pulled over to a shadowy figure on the other side of the room, the same sickly sweet voice that had called to Harry before, now giggling in sheer pleasure at the utter chaos that ran free around it. **_

_**Harry turned took a step forward to free his teammate and ex-lover, when he tripped and came face to face with Bloodlust, whose body and head were in two separate places. **_

"_**Free your soul Harry…Free your soul…it is so beautiful…perfectly emerald green…so Slytherin…" **_

_**Bloodlust's eyes bore into Harry's, those seemingly dead eyes reflecting the fires behind them and burning slowly into Harry's soul. **_

"_**Free your soul Harry Potter, free your soul…"**_

Midnight gasped and jolted into consciousness, immediately sitting up and looking around. There was no fire, no blood, no death, and best of all, no giggling.

For that simple moment, life was perfect.

"Midnight, what are you doing? You're supposed to be checking out the basement…"

Midnight slowly pulled himself up and looked over at his bronzed companion. "And you're supposed to be checking the attic…"

Quicksilver looked over at her friend and helped him stand. "I was, but then I felt this cold wind and 'whoosh', I fell through this hole in the floor and ended up at the foot of the basement steps…"

Midnight nodded and rubbed his neck gently. "Come on, let get out of here, I had a vision and this isn't the best place to be. We need to leave now…"

"I'd love to leave this freaky not-so-fun house, but unfortunately the door has turned into a very solid brick wall. No illusion spell, and no demolition spell can hurt it… I've already tired one before I noticed you over here."

Midnight groaned and pushed a piece of hair behind his ears. "Ok, well, there are multiple torches lit so there has to be oxygen coming from somewhere…lets keep going, maybe there is a tunnel out of here…or maybe we can apparate…"

Quicksilver turned slightly pink at the suggestion. "I never thought of doing that…"

Midnight laughed and shook his head. "That's why I have more dangerous assignments than you do…" He said, poking his friend in the nose and walking over to the wall and wrenching a torch out of place.

"Let's go…"

Quicksilver nodded and quickly caught up with her roommate's long strides. "It makes you wonder why there are lit torches in a supposedly abandoned house…"

Midnight nodded. "They weren't lit when I first came down, this whole this reeks of a trap… but thank goodness that my vision won't come true."

"Why is that?" Quicksilver asked, looking behind them every few steps and making sure they weren't followed and that no boggarts or any other creepy crawly creatures could catch them off guard in the dark.

"Because in my vision, Jade and Bloodlust where there and we told them to secure outside, so they can't be down here if we're in a sealed basement…"

Quicksilver nodded and looked to her friend. "Was it really that bad?"

Midnight stopped and looked over at her. "Do you remember our first mission…"

Quicksilver paled considerably and shivered, She remembered that mission very well, no one would ever forget it.

"It was worse…" He said, just as lightening struck the ground on the outside of his foot, causing both mages to extinguish the fire by taking the flame, splitting it, and hurling it at their attackers.

The fire hit the ground and burst, the flare bright enough to light up their surroundings.

"Jade!" Midnight exclaimed, his heart sinking and quickening at the same time.

"Midnight…" Despite the darkness, Jade still managed to find Harry and sweep him up into his arms, holding him tightly and whispering soft words into his hair.

"How did you get down here?" Harry asked, pulling away and looking up into Jade's dark black eyes.

Jade kissed his forehead and left one arm wrapped around Midnight's waist as he turned to face the other two, who had lit the torch again and were watching the spectacle before them.

"Bob and I had just finished securing the perimeter and came around the front door, but when we turned the knob to go in, the porch disappeared and we fell down into this dark pit, we tried to apparate out, but there seems to be an anti-apparition field built into the walls… so we had just been about to start looking for another way out when we heard footsteps. Bob decided it would be better to shoot first and ask questions later."

Midnight nodded. "Smart thinking, we could've been dark wizards bent on killing you, you never know…"

Bloodlust nodded and glared darkly at the surrounding walls. "This is like a bad episode of 'Scooby-doo', the only thing missing is the creepy bats and the obviously fake villain."

Harry laughed at the odd statement, Odd, yet strangely true.

If he didn't know better, he would've sworn they were on an old episode of 'Scooby-doo' or in a Nancy Drew novel. The weird trap doors that sealed behind you, the creepy torches that lit out of no where, the odd chilly wind that happened when something bad was about to happen…

It was all very comical, but the fact that it wasn't some elaborate joke, that the fact that his vision would take place soon…it made everything strikingly real, and all the more terrifying…

"Come on…" Bloodlust said, holding the torch angled high over his head. "We need to find a way out of here…"

Midnight nodded, and held Jade's arm around his waist as they followed their companions in silence, Midnight in slight pain from the vision he'd had and Jade contemplation their situation.

"Hey guys, listen…" Quicksilver said, quickly grabbing Bloodlust's arm and effectively stopping him. Holding up her hand when he started to protest she made sure that all four of them stayed absolutely silent for a good two minuets before soft giggles could be heard, accompanied by a soft crying.

Midnight squeezed Jade's hand slightly before stepping away from his hold and moving to the front of the group. Without a word of warning, he put out the torch with one movement of his hand and began to walk towards the sounds, unsure of what he might find.

Their was no light anywhere, no torches, no doors with light under them, nothing to tell them if they were even going the right way, but Midnight was a Prodigy and spent two weeks of his training wearing a blind fold as punishment for relying on his eyes to much.

The darkness just seemed to be endless, it seemed as if they would be stuck in a hallway for the rest of their lives, but then Midnight didn't feel the walls so close to him, in fact, the walls seemed to have disappeared. Taking a few more steps, Midnight froze and looked around him as the nagging voice returned.

"On you guard…" Midnight shouted, just as the light flared in front of him and he brought up his arms to shield himself from the blast of energy he knew was to close to do anything about.

"'On you guard…' is that all you can say War Mage? 'On your guard...'?" The same giggle from his vision invaded his ears. "Maybe you aren't worth killing after all…but then again…"

While the voice a kept talking, Midnight took the opportunity to construct a shield that would reflect the attack right back at the sender.

"Why take the chance?"

The energy ball, which had been paused mere inches from Midnight's nose, struck him forcefully and knocked him back quite a few feet.

"Who are you?" Midnight asked, Lifting his eyes to the darkest corner of the room to see a pair of malicious eyes staring at him and no one else.

"Who am I….who am I…I am the one you will fall before, there will be no more Harry Potter, No more War mage Midnight, No more you, No more Voldermort. I know the way to kill the dark beast…"

The darkness receded and Brushfire, in all her pink and honey gold glory stepped into the light, the maddened look in her eyes making the four gathered mages gasp in shock.

"Brushfire?" Jade asked in surprise, looking the girl up and down and tilting his head in confusion.

"What? You were expecting…My husband maybe…" She asked, her eyes wide with insanity as she tilter her head and quickly shifted her eyes to look at Bloodlust, who was preparing to attack. "Ah ah ah pretty boy… Let's play fair now…"

With a mad laugh Brushfire made a jerky twitch of her head and Bloodlust was tossed across the room by visible psyonic waves.

"Bob!" Midnight cried, running over to his fallen comrade just in time to save him from another attack, "I didn't know anyone could do that…"

Brushfire giggled madly again and twitched again, her head turning the other way, sending mind numbing attacks at both Jade and Quicksilver.

"You can't save them all, Harry Potter, What oh what are you going to do?"

Harry stood and looked at the woman who had obviously flipped a lid or two. "Why are you doing this?" He asked, taking a step forward, planning to thrash her the second he was in arms reach, he'd never liked her anyways.

"Why? Well for one you killed my husband, two you took my lover, three you have always been a pain in my ass, and four…." Her grin became darkly malicious. "I just don't like you…."

Midnight had just reached the bottom of the steps that lead to a large throne the woman was sitting in when she laughed and lashed out at him with a whip, the snake like coil biting into his arm and tearing the black shirt as it pierced the skin…singing at the taste of blood.

"Ah!" Harry cried, hissing in pain as he clutched his arm and glared at the woman. "Is that all you've got?"

Brushfire scowled and took a step down the stair, glaring at Midnight the whole time. "What did you ask me?"

Midnight smirked in triumph and glared at the woman. "You heard me, I asked if that was all you had, an annoying laugh and a measly whip." He rolled his eyes. "Oh sure you can do that oo ah scary mind attack thing, but come on, you think you were any match for Voldermort? He was something you could never hope you be…"

Brushfire took another step, "Oh yeah…what would that be?" She asked, taking another step, bringing her one step closer to where Midnight stood.

"You really want to know?" He asked, Stepping up and getting as close to her body as he could without touching her.

From where he stood, Midnight could see Quicksilver helping Jade to his feet and both of them silently waking Bloodlust, each combining their powers to make a sealing net around them.

"Yeah!" The pink haired woman shouted, leaning over midnight and trying to intimidate him.

Midnight reached up and clamped his hand around her throat, bringing her down to look him in the eyes. "He was a threat…" He growled, quickly using all of his strength to shift his footing and throw her directly into the magiced netting his teammates had created.

Electrified screams could be heard throughout the chamber as Brushfire twisted and writhed until her screams became mad laughter and her body burst into flames.

"You fool; I will not be beaten until you are dead!" She screamed, her body exploding, sending fire everywhere, setting the whole room ablaze in a matter of seconds.

Quicksilver, Jade, and Bloodlust all set about trying to extinguish the flames, all of which seemed to be giggling and just growing higher the more they tried to put them out.

"This isn't working!" Hellaine cried, backing up and shielding her eyes as the fire popped and sizzled.

"The stones are just an illusion," Jade shouted trying to be heard over the loud roar of the flames and the annoying giggling. "It's all wood, get away from it!"

Midnight gasped as he turned and witnessed the scene from his vision, Just as Jade had called his warning, a large ceiling beam cracked, splintered, and began to crash to the ground.

"Jade, Look out!" Quicksilver exclaimed, taking off without a second thought and pushing Jade out of the way, Just in time for the burning beam to engulf her.

"Hellaine! Robyn!" Midnight screamed and just as he saw the man begin to try and lift the beam off the girl.

Midnight felt as if her were watching all of it happen from in a bowl of water. It didn't seem real…

"**_Free your soul Harry…Free your soul…it is so beautiful…perfectly emerald green…so Slytherin… Free your soul Harry Potter, free your soul…"_**

Midnight lowered his head into his hands and pressed his thumbs into his temples. 'Soul….free my soul…emerald…soul…soul…Tom!'

Suddenly it all made sense, Tom Riddle's Soul had made a connection with him when he was a baby, Harry's eyes were Emerald green just like his mothers, Voldermort had been a Slytherin, Voldermort's soul was trapped in the emerald eyes of the snake necklace he'd gotten for Christmas!

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Ok, I know this doesn't make much sense, but I am working ok correcting the previous chapters, so look for redone and longer beginning chapters soon, PLEASE R&R, I NEED your feed back!

Yours,

Kat


	17. A War Mages Path Chapter 17 end

Chapter 17

o.o.o.o.o.o

The Epilogue

o.o.o.o.o.o

The reality of the heat all around him snapped Midnight out of his disassociated of the horrifying events surrounding his person.

'Teddy, Hell, Bob…'

Harry's eyes began to burn with an emerald green passion that had been so rarely witnessed that some only referred to it as a myth.

It was fear that fueled him on, fear of losing his friends, fear of losing his lover, fear of being alone. But more than fear, it was hope. The hope of a semi normal life, whether as a war mage or not, the hope of freeing the world from the darkness it hid from, hope…for a brighter future for the younger generations…

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"…To tell the truth…I don't remember much after that revelation," Midnight said with a dry chuckle as he shifted painfully in his bed. "I remember another flash of light and I remember hearing a shattering noise…but that's it."

Dumbledore nodded and let out a sigh of relief. "Well, thanks to your efforts and those of your team, we, the wizarding world, can now enter a time of long awaited peace. Thank you, War Mage Midnight, You are now free."

Harry watched as the elderly man patted his leg and walked out of the room, leaving him alone with his gathered friends.

"I know you know more than that, why aren't you telling him how you had a powerful brain battle with Brushfire and how both you and Voldermort kicked her little weak assed…um…ass!" Hellaine asked quickly as she hopped onto his bed and sat on his feet, effectively making him very uncomfortable.

"Why would I do that?" He asked, "That was the short version of a very long story that involved the death of a Mage, which makes it a Mage affair."

"Quite so…" Aqua interjected, grabbing the now bouncing grey haired girl by the ear to remove her from the bed. "After the memory correction of the school it is imperative that we maintain a low profile. On top of that, I would like to say that both Nightwish and Training Mage Draco will be returning with us to Head Quarters. Nightwish has been assigned to a full time team in need of a researcher and the young trainee will be handed over to a skilled Seer Mage for the duration of his training."

The tall woman smiled softly at her bed ridden War Mage and winked. "And as for you Hero, there will be a warm welcome waiting for you when we return home, the Elders are impressed with the sheer determination and will it took to take on a highly decorated Seer Mage's final attack and win, Saving your team in the process."

A smile touched Midnight's lips at the nickname. 'Hero', as Aqua and Jade were now calling him, was admittedly a lot better than 'The-Boy-Who-Lived'.

Looking around the room, Harry's smile grew as his one red, and one silver eye sparkled from sheer happiness. He was alive; he had his friends surrounding him, Jade to his left, Bloodlust to his right, Aqua to his right, and Quicksilver still on the floor whining about being roughly handled. All was good with the world now, for the moment.

"So I guess this means that that horrible forced vacation has been called off?" He asked, looking over at his one time trainer who simply nodded at his question.

"What War Mage in their right mind would go on vacation?" Quicksilver asked, looking up at her companions from her place on the floor.

"One that is given no other choice you idiot." Jade replied, letting out a yelp the moment the white haired girls' steel toed boot connected with his shin.

"The council felt that it would be best to allow Mage Midnight some time to be with Mr. Malfoy without the added pressure of his duties hanging over his head. But now that Mr. Malfoy has agreed to continue with his training they see no reason to force Midnight to do anything against his will." Aqua replied, finally giving Harry a reason for his supposed vacation.

"I'm glad he's agreed to continue," Harry said as he shifted his gaze down to his hands. "I'm glad Nightwish was able to talk him into it. I doubt he'd have continued if I had been his only incentive."

"That's not true!" Quicksilver shouted, leaping onto her roommate's bed, hugging him tightly. "Just give him some time. In the past two months he's found out the love of his life isn't quite as dead and previously thought, he's found out that he has the potential to be a seer, he's learned that his father, whom he loved with every ounce of his being, is dead, and just recently, he found out that the mage that has been training him everyday was secretly married to Peter Pettigrew of all people, yuck, and had not only killed Voldermort because of her twisted beliefs, but had also tried to kill our team and would've succeeded if she hadn't miscalculated Jade's desire to get back in your good graces, thus transfiguring the emerald she'd trapped the only goodness left in old Voldie and given to Jade as a token of 'love' into a Christmas gift for you!"

Harry couldn't help but stare at the girl who was currently wrapped around his upper body, that had been the most fully thought out and well said thing he'd ever heard from her in all the time they'd been rooming together.

"Alright…" he murmured, giving Quicksilver a bright smile. "I'll give him some time then."

"Good!" She replied, hopping off the bed again to stand by Bloodlust's side.

"Hey, since we're on the subject of explaining previously unexplained events," Harry said as he looked down at the sterile white bedding he was currently housed in. "Why are we at Hogwarts and not at Mage HQ?"

After a moment of various glancing at one another, Bob finally answered the boys' rather astute question.

"The battle took a lot out of us and this was the closest place to apperate."

"Why didn't you just use the phasing dust?" Harry asked, referring to the gold dust Mages always carried on them.

"Would you believe none of us were carrying any?" Bob replied simply.

Laughter rang through the room in varying degrees, from Jade's deep rumble, to Aqua's graceful chuckles.

It was very 'scoobie-doo' esque, Harry didn't mind. He was going back home soon. Back where life made sense…were the only things he had to worry about were the Cafeteria's 'special' and whether or not he was going to die on his next mission.

Only one thing was holding them up…

"Where are they…" Harry asked with a small scowl, his mouth twitching in annoyance.

The door burst open as if on command and both Draco and Nightwish tried to shove their way through the unrelenting frame.

"I swear, Why you need so many plushies is beyond me." Came Draco's highly annoyed voice from a mound of soft multi colored animals in his arms as he finally shoved his way into the room.

"My darlings are nothing compared to your suitcase of hair care products." Nightwish shot back, his smile beaming in triumph.

"Shut up…" the blonde huffed as he dropped the immobile projectiles onto the growing pile of trunks in the middle of the room.

Ignoring the other mages in the room, Draco went over and kissed his boyfriend with a passion that made the room seem to raise a few degrees. He had taken to doing that after he had learned of his lovers' near death experience.

It didn't matter that he was still confused on whether he trusted Midnight or not, or if he was positive of the War Mage's feelings for him. All that mattered was that they had time to work it out, and work it out they would.

"Well, looks as if we are finally ready to go…" Jade remarked, helping Midnight from the bed as soon as the boys had ended their mid-day make-out session.

"Everyone close their eyes and hold hands," Aqua instructed, taking hold of Hellaine's deeply tanned hand and Nightwish's gently pale one. "And when next you open them, we shall be home."

Harry took one last look around his one time home and sighed, closing his eyes. No more 'what if's'. He had all he would ever need by his side, as that meant the world to him.

No matter what lie ahead for him, Midnight knew that this was now his path. This was a true War Mages Path.

Owai

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Oh My God…it's finished! I never thought it would happen! This is amazing…I know it ended very oddly. I basically copped out and decided that a revision would be better than never finishing it.

So I have to thank every single reader that has stuck with me through the years. It's been tough, but I hope it's been worth it.

A lot has gone on in my life that I would like to add to AWMP and hopefully that will happen soon. I am going to keep writing 'Don't Speak' and all the others that haven't been updated yet, so look forward to those this summer.

And if I have enough request for it, I will write a sequel continuing Harry and Draco's relationship and Draco's training.

But I'll need you to ask for it ^_^

Thank you thank you thank you. With out all of you, this never would have been finished.

LOOK FOR THE REWRITE SOON!!!

Your ever devoted Author,

Kathleen S.

Angel Shinigami 4:08 am. 05-30-06

P.S. Hey everyone!!! Two years later and I am finally ready to post the sequel! I have worked with this last chapter so that everything flowed better and I gave you some more details on how Harry ended up with Voldermort's soul.

10:22 p.m. 11-23-2008


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